Madison Parks receives $100,000 gift to address park accessibility

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Madison Parks Foundation has received a $100,000 gift from the Pleasant Rowland Foundation to start an endowment which will address elements of accessibility across the park system.

According to the UW Census Bureau, one in five people is affected by a disability, whether physical or cognitive. Madison Parks Foundation has made accessibility across parks, playgrounds and programs a priority, the foundation said.

“It is a priority for the Madison Parks Foundation to support inclusion and accessibility to our parks. This is why this endowment was created and thanks to the Pleasant Rowland Foundation, we have a great start towards our $10,000,000 goal,” Stephanie Franklin, Executive Director of the Madison Parks Foundation said.

The foundation is fundraising to add five fully accessible parks across the community. They recently added an accessible mat and platform to Bernie’s Beach so that those with mobility challenges can get a wheelchair or crutches across the beach.

“With the generosity of our community and its leaders, we hope to reach our $10,000,000 goal so we can continue to support projects like this in perpetuity, Franklin said.

You can visit madisonparksfoundation.org for more information or to give a gift.