Rotary PlayGarden

Specialties

The Rotary PlayGarden provides an inclusive place for children with special needs to play alongside their siblings and friends. The design incorporates standard play elements and adds adaptive swings, a wheelchair-​accessible merry go round, kinetic art, sensory experiences, and more. Design elements feature wildlife found along Guadalupe River and take advantage of the proximity to Mineta San Jose International Airport.

The PlayGarden is maintained by Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC) via volunteers, in-​kind donations, and fee-​for-​service contracts. Building on its existing programming for children with special needs, GRPC also conducts seasonal programs in the PlayGarden.

History

Established in 2015.

The Rotary PlayGarden is the Rotary Club of San Jose’s centennial gift to the community. Rotary’s goal was to provide an inclusive place to play for all children and their families, so they solicited input from the Santa Clara County Office of Education, San Andreas Regional Center, City parks staff, and families raising children with special needs to determine what features to include.

The proposal for the PlayGarden went to the San Jose City Council after it had adopted a resolution in 2010 that no new parks would be built unless they had a privately funded maintenance plan. Recognizing that the city’s lack of operations and maintenance funds could jeopardize the project, Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC) assumed responsibility for ongoing maintenance so the PlayGarden could move forward.

Rotary collected over 400 donations from members, individuals, corporations, government agencies, and foundations to fund the stunning six-​million-​dollar project.

Meet the Manager

Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.

Manager

Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC), a non-​profit organization, provides community leadership for the development and active use of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens through education, advocacy, and stewardship. GRPC manages the PlayGarden and raises funds to support ongoing programming and maintenance.

GRPC produces Pumpkins in the Park and the Super Guadalupe River Run, provides hands-​on, science-​based education in the park for nearly 5,000 students each year, and coordinates over 17,000 volunteer hours each year in service of the park.