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A new, all-inclusive playground at Bladen County Park officially opened Thursday with Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson and Parks and Recreation Director Grant Pait cutting the ribbon.

Equipment includes a rubber surface to allow for smooth transport with wheelchairs, doublewide ramps to access slides and other elements, and equipment that will appeal to children with sensory issues. The playground provides an opportunity for individuals of all ages and abilities to play together outside.

Trillium provided $500,000 to Bladen County Parks and Recreation Department for the playground located off U.S. 701 between Elizabethtown and Clarkton. GameTime, the recreation and playground installer selected for the project, uses research-based programs and education to deliver the most tailored play and recreation environments.

“Today we unveil this playground to bring inclusion here for our children and families who experience intellectual and developmental disability, autism, and traumatic brain injury,” Trillium Chief Operations Officer Cindy Ehlers said. “This playground allowed children of all abilities to play together … this playground, unlike other playgrounds, gives every kid a chance to just be a kid.”

Children, their families, county employees and Trillium staff enjoy sno-cones and music by DJ Smooth after the ribbon cutting.

Trillium first offered these grants in 2015 and has since constructed 32 playgrounds across eastern North Carolina. Each location received a grant amount appropriate for the scope of work and land space allocated for developing or updating a playground.

Trillium Health Resources is a specialty care manager for individuals with substance use, mental illness and intellectual/development disabilities in 28 counties, including Bladen County, in eastern North Carolina.