(Virginia Beach, Va., June 22, 2010) – Picture a playground so meticulously designed that anyone - regardless of age, disability or health condition - cannot be denied access. This park also lays claim to one of the best views on the East Coast, with the playground located on the sand of Virginia Beach, offering a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. Park visitors hear the collective sounds of children’s laughter, waves crashing to shore and the call of the seagulls. The
JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground for EveryBODY is the first playground of its kind in the country and is now open to all visitors at the beginning of the boardwalk at 1st Street.
Grommet Island Park is the product of a love of the beach. Josh Thompson grew up by the ocean, and was an ardent beach-goer and surfer. The term “grommet” actually pays homage to young surfers at heart everywhere. In the surfing community, a grommet is known as a young surfer – usually under the age of 15.
However, in 2006, the then 33-year-old was forced to re-examine his love of the beach when he was diagnosed with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. During family outings to the oceanfront, the wheelchair-bound Thompson was forced to stay behind, given the lack of easy wheelchair access through the sand. Frustrated, Thompson’s family decided to take action so the many others like Josh would not have to miss out on all Virginia Beach has to offer.
Thompson’s father, Virginia Beach Developer Bruce Thompson, began developing plans for a 100 percent disability-accessible oceanfront park. After securing the city’s blessing and the land necessary for the park, friends, family and community members joined forces. The annual JT Walks, first held in 2008, have helped bring in more than $1 million for ALS research and patient services as well as funding for Grommet Island Park.
On May 22, the hard work was unveiled with the park’s grand opening. It takes up approximately 15,000 square feet of oceanfront and features ramps and wood polymer decking over the sand with designated covered beach seating areas. Visitors can also rent specifically designed beach wheelchairs that allow them direct access to the water. Additionally, the park’s playground includes custom slides, monkey bars, and raised sand tables in order to meet the needs of any child visiting Virginia Beach. The custom park is the only oceanfront playground in the United States with full accessibility for disabled visitors.
For Virginia Beach, the park is just another step in making the city welcoming to all families. Even before the park’s opening, wheelchair accessibility ramps from the boardwalk to the beach were built at every block, and 8-foot wooden walkways reaching the water’s edge are located at 8th, 17th, 24th and 30th Streets.
For more information about the park, please visit
www.vbfun.com or
www.grommetisland.org.
Virginia Beach entices visitors to “Live the Life” year-round! Located in the southeastern corner of the state, Virginia Beach is four hours southeast of D.C. by car and within a day’s drive or less from two-thirds of the U.S. population. For visitor information, call 1-800-VA-BEACH (800/822-3224) or visit www.vbfun.com for online trip planning. For media information and digital images, click on www.vbpressroom.com. Please follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vabeachcvb and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virginia-Beach-Live-The-Life.
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