Friends of Ferrum Park celebrated the opening of the ADA accessibility trail on Sept. 12.
The trail features a quarter-mile flat walking path with benches, handicapped parking, and woodland scenery for those of all abilities to enjoy.
Executive Director of Ferrum Park Rebecca Saunders cried tears of joy as she commemorated the grand opening with members of the community.
“From the beginning, we’ve always been focused on providing a space and amenities that are truly accessible for all,” explained Saunders. “That is one of our core tenants of the Park Project. We want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves out here with no barriers. Thanks to the generous funding from the AARP through the community challenge grant, we are thrilled to say that we are well on her way to making that dream a reality.”
AARP donated $15,000 to the park, which funded the construction of both the trail and a parking lot to go with it.
“We applied for the Community Challenge Grant in March. We were told in June that we had won it,” said Saunders. “We applied to do the first quarter mile of our accessibility trail. We will eventually be expanding it into an extra mile on top of this, and we’ll have a mile and a quarter!”
Saunders thanked the community and Friends of Ferrum Park members for their dedication to the project as they enjoyed a meal together beneath the bale house.
“When I call this a labor of love, I absolutely mean it,” said Saunders with a smile. “Without the insane amount of hard work by our amazing community, none of what you see today would have been possible. While I might be the face of Ferrum Park, none of this–absolutely none of this–would have been possible without an unimaginable about of love, work, and energy by so many folks.”
Community Engagement Director Christina Inman anticipates the trail to be a big hit in the Village.
“This trail is a great thing for the community,” reported Inman. “I look forward to seeing everyone be able to get out and about, regardless of ability.”
Supervisor Tim Tatum takes pride in Ferrum’s accomplishments and looks for only a forward future.
“I feel so proud every time I ride by here and see something going on,” affirmed Tatum. “Because I supported this park, I feel like I had a little bit of a part of it. It makes me proud to see what this community is doing and going to do. That’s what’s so exciting about it–what you’ve already done, what you’ve already completed. What’s really exciting is, what are we going to do next?”
