Hilton Head’s newest accessible playground opened this week. It bears a special name
When Gregory Fotia was being shuttled regularly between a Charleston hospital and his Hilton Head Island home for medical treatment, his mother stayed at the Ronald McDonald house. Little Greg, who used a wheelchair, loved the playground there.
It had special swings, a paved path and things every child, no matter their disability, could play with.
When his mother, Rose, returned to Hilton Head, she broached the idea of building an accessible playground on the island. The Kiwanis Club and volunteers built Gregory’s Playground at the Island Recreation Center, and money from the Children’s Relief Fund maintained the equipment.
Greg died in October 2000 at age 11, but his legacy of inclusiveness helped thousands of children of all abilities have a place to play.
This year, the playground was closed so modern equipment could be installed. Now, Gregory’s Playground is complete and opened Tuesday, according to a news release from the rec center.
“Every person has a purpose on this Earth and Gregory’s purpose was to make the lives of disabled children in our area better,” the release said.
The $550,000 playground includes swings, slides, a wheelchair-accessible surface and shade pavilions to keep kids cool while they play. It was completed after a two-year renovation of the rec center, which added a new gym, workout facilities and improvements to the pool area.
The playground is behind the Hilton Head Island High School tennis courts and baseball diamond. A two-story net was installed to keep foul balls away from the play area.
In February, the town diverted money from a dirt road paving project to pay for the playground, saying the road wasn’t ready for paving.
The money was part of a community development block grant issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Such grants target projects in low- to moderate-income areas, according to the HUD website, and the grant expires if it’s not used on time.
Now that the playground is complete, Gregory’s legacy continues in a more inclusive world.
Gregory’s Playground, the rec center wrote, will improve “the quality of life for all families by ensuring that all children with or without special needs are able to enjoy a safe and inviting playground.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 7:00 AM.
