Alcott Park Dedication Planned

The Buffalo Grove Park District will host the dedication of the reconstructed playground and the newly built Lexi Kazian playground at 1 p.m. Sept. 17.

Most of the Alcott Park playground was , causing over $80,000 in damage. At that time, the Lexi Kazian Foundation - Helping From Heaven, expressed interest in helping to restore the playground, even though the cost would be covered by insurance.

The Lexi Kazian Foundation- Helping From Heaven is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to helping improve the comfort and quality of life of children with special needs. Through donated funds and resources, the organization provides children who have varied handicaps or developmental delays with specialized equipment and services that may aid in their physical therapy, advance their mobility, or simply allow them to be in a more comfortable position.

Another way Helping From Heaven carries out its mission is to help fund the development of parks and playgrounds that are handicap adaptable and allow children with wheelchairs or walking aids to maneuver more easily around the park.

Because the Alcott Park playground was specifically designed to be able to be used by children with special needs, Helping From Heaven wanted to get involved and help bring back what was taken away from the community and the children they are dedicated to serving.

In January, Buffalo Grove Park District officials met with representatives from the Lexi Kazian Foundation - Helping from Heaven and , that was unaffected by the fire, thus making the entire park better than it was before the act of arson. That area of the park had playground equipment that was designed for preschool age children, and much of that old equipment there was not accessible for children with special needs, unlike the new playground was that had been destroyed by the fire.

The new Lexi Kazian playground cost approximately $60,000, which included removing the old equipment and woodchips, installing four new accessible apparatuses, and installing a rubberized surface that makes the playground safer and more easily maneuvered in a wheelchair, or using a walker or crutches.

“We believe that every child, regardless of their physical abilities, should have the same opportunity to enjoy the playground as all the other children. That’s why we’re so excited to be able to help fund the development of this thoughtfully designed park in Buffalo Grove. Additionally, I was raised in Buffalo Grove and hold many wonderful childhood memories sliding and climbing in parks right in these neighborhoods,” said Kristy Kazian, co-president of Helping From Heaven and Lexi’s mom.

She added, “We loved bringing our daughter, Lexi, to the park. It was cherished family time for us and a welcome break from the daily therapy schedules.”

Helping From Heaven received a $17,500 donation from a family foundation for the benefit of the Alcott Park project. The foundation, which asked to remain anonymous, also matched any community donations made toward the park restoration, up to $7,500. After receiving a $7,500 donation from the Hitachi Corporation, Helping From Heaven, contributed a total of $32,500.

To learn more about The Lexi Kazian Foundation - Helping From Heaven, go to helpingfromheaven.org. For more information on the Alcott Park Dedication, call Mike Terson at (847) 850-2116.

— Submitted by the Buffalo Grove Park District