Make-A-Wish

We have been working with Make-A-Wish, to have a playground put in our neighborhood with a "Special Needs" swing for Emberlyn. This has been a great opportunity for all of us. We have met some truly amazing people and are humbled to see strangers work so hard to do something for our family and community. Our Make-A-Wish rep Stewart came to a Warrensburg Parks Board Meeting with us to present our playground idea to the City. We have also been working with some people from The City of Warrensburg to figure out where to put the playground. There is a field right across the street that we have dreamed of putting a playground on since we bought this house! It would be perfect. Anyway, the meeting we went to made the front page of the Newspaper here (not a lot going on in the Burg) and Clif was quoted a few times in it. It was fun to read so here it is...

NEW PLAYGROUND?
Sue Sterling
Staff Writer
Warrensburg - The Parks Board will work with a local couple and the Make-A-Wish-Foundation to establish a memorial playground for a handicapped child.

Clifton Bell, father of the 3-year-old girl, said she has a neurological condition and "has very little capability to do anything."

"She loves parks and she loves kids," he said, and they thought a playground would be a fitting memorial. "We could go to Disneyland, but we want to do something for the community."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation "has done a lot to make this happen," Bell said.

Stewart Schrader with Make-A-Wish said the foundation found someone to donate equipment and labor.

"We want to do everything we can to make their wish come true for the Bells," Schrader said.

The Bells live in Clover Creek subdivision and hoped to locate the playground on park land in that development. But Park Director Kory Alfred said Bell agreed that land is not suitable for a playground.

Alfred said the playground could go to Cave Hollow Park, where the city removed outdated equipment and the department would not have to add maintenance costs.

Bell said they hoped to find a site closer to their residence, perhaps in Hawthorne Park, which has become "very popular and busy."

Bell said he is willing to buy a lot, but Alfred said the playground will have long-term costs.

"Once the wish is granted, it will be up to the community to maintain it," Alfred said.

City codes require a parking lot with one parking spot for every three users. The annual cost to maintain a four-acre lot with playground, parking lot, shelter, drinking fountain and sidewalks is $10,200.

The parks budget is tight, Alfred said, and adding to maintenance costs would be difficult.

Board member Kathy Howard suggested Alfred and Bell explore other parks for a suitable site.

"It may be that somebody in the community is willing to come forward," she said.

She told the Bells, "It's marvelous you thought to do this. It's just a matter of how to make it work."

Howard urged the board and staff "to keep all options open. ... There are constraints, but if we all work together, there may be opportunities."

Alfred said a homeowners' association in the development might provide and maintain a site. Bell said Clover Creek does not have an association.

Howard said an alternative would be to start one "so you can do it and not have to meet city requirements" for parking.

Board member Andy Haynes recommended referring the issue to the parks Building and Grounds Committee.

Alfred said he would work with the Bells on ideas.

Bell said they also would start work on options.

The board will reconsider the issue at the April meeting.

A man from Briarcliff Development in KC called us a few weeks ago to tell us that they were inspired by Ember's wish for a neighborhood playground and asked if they could adopt her wish. They adopted 4 other wishes and are holding a fundraiser Luau to raise money for the 5 wishes. We get to be VIP guests and are really getting the star treatment! They booked us a room at a nice hotel with an indoor water park and are picking us up in a Limo for the event. We are SO excited! We met with them this past weekend and they interviewed us for a video about Emberlyn that will be shown at the Luau. Once again we have been humbled by how much time and effort so many have volunteered to make Ember's wish come true. Mr. Hagedorn (The Briarcliff Rep) has really reached out and made it obvious that he genuinely cares for the Wish Kids and their families. We have been blessed through this experience to have the opportunity to associate with such AMAZING people!

Here is the invitation they gave to us for the Luau. It has a little blurb about all the wish kids including sweet Embers.