A rocket-themed all-abilities playground should open in Harmon Park by the end of summer thanks to a grant from T-Mobile, which awarded the First on the Moon group in Wapakoneta a $50,000 grant for the project.
WAPAKONETA — The 1969 moon landing broke what was long seen as an insurmountable barrier, with Wapakoneta’s Neil Armstrong taking his famous “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Thanks to a new grant, children in Armstrong’s hometown who have faced limitations when it comes to access to play equipment will be able to have their own barrier-breaking moment.
T-Mobile awarded Wapakoneta $50,000 in grant funding Tuesday to construct the city’s first all-abilities inclusive playground at the city’s Harmon Park — an homage to Wapakoneta’s most famous former resident.
“We don’t have any community playground equipment that’s (accessible to children of) all abilities,” said Rachel Barber, president of the non-profit First on the Moon organization, who unveiled the project at Harmon Park Monday.
The First on the Moon group is one of 25 community organizations awarded grant funding through T-Mobile’s rural communities investment fund. T-Mobile Hometown Grants was launched in April 2021 with the mandate of distributing $25 million over five years to support organizations that help small-town America. So far, nearly $9 million has been distributed to 200 communities over five states.
The rocket-themed playground will incorporate inclusive elements like a wheel-chair accessible ramp and a buddy seat at the end of the slide where parents, babysitters or friends can sit and wait for a nervous child to come down the slide.
Panels along the side tell Armstrong’s story to serve as inspiration, documenting how Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon’s surface, while a decorative moon rock doubles as a chair.
In a statement, Wapakoneta Mayor Steve Henderson lauded the announcement and the benefits it stands to bring to the community.
“Wapakoneta is a better place because of organizations like First on the Moon, through which volunteers see what our hometown’s needs are and jump in to address them,” he said in the statement. “The city of Wapakoneta is very grateful to First on the Moon for taking on this project and grateful to T-Mobile for providing the much-needed funding. We look forward to building a strong working relationship with T-Mobile.”
The playground may open as soon as the end of summer, Barber said.
