A groundbreaking event for new adaptive playground equipment being installed at Dickinson Memorial Park has been postponed due to expected weather.

The groundbreaking, initially planned for tomorrow morning, has instead been pushed to 11 am Sunday, March 20. All are invited to join Newtown Lions Club and Newtown Parks & Recreation for the brief event.

The local Lions have been fundraising since mid-2020, prompted in large part by a Letter to the Editor that ran in The Newtown Bee from a then-third grade student who said “kids with special needs don’t have enough to do” when they visit the town’s two public parks. Her younger brother, she said, is one who requires adapted playground equipment so that he can enjoy the visits to the parks.

The Lions began fundraising efforts, and have worked with Newtown Parks & Recreation to determine the best equipment to purchase. The groups decided to purchase a glider, merry-go-round, and wheelchair swing feature ride-on access so no transfer from a wheelchair is needed.

Last year the Board of Selectmen also became involved. In August, the board approved a transfer of $90,000 to assist in the purchase of the equipment. First Selectman Dan Rosenthal was quick to support the request, saying that while the town’s playgrounds meet Americans with Disability Act guidelines, they are not “truly adaptive.”

The Legislative Council approved the appropriation in September.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.