No child to be left behind on the swings in Pine Island

Pine Island — What was once another barrier for children with disabilities has just been removed with the installation of a new handicapped-accessible swing at the Pine Island Park in Warwick. “Every child wants to be included in the same activities that others participate in,” said Sondra Hall, Pine Island Chamber of Commerce member, said in a press release announcing the unveiling of the swing on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. “We also wanted to provide every child with the ability to experience the freedom of movement that an exhilarating ride on a swing provides,” added Hall, who also was the co-chair of the Black Dirt Feast event which helped to generate the funds needed for the expansion of the park’s facilities. The new swing, whose installation was supervised by Bill Roe of the Warwick Department of Public Works, addresses the needs of kids who may have been unable to play on traditional playground equipment. And it’s the only handicapped-accessible swing available in any park in the Town of Warwick. The Pine Island Chamber enlisted the help of Janine Bloom of the Warwick Community of Girl Scouts to include the local children. As a result, The 4H Busy Bees and American Eagles, under the leadership of Annette Henderson, donated $200 toward this project; the Warwick Community of Girl Scouts SU228 and individual Troop 407, led by Carrie Garloch, and Troop 528, led by Patti Petreshock, added another $486 that they earned from various fund raisers.