Final Fundraising Efforts to Bring Radically Inclusive Play to Marshall Park

If you’ve walked or driven past Marshall Park in the last year, you’ve likely noticed big changes coming to the park’s playground. The beloved “fire truck playground” (officially named Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station or CHAMPS) has been demolished, and a new playground is taking shape. But this new playground will be unlike any other playground in Clark County. The space will be “radically inclusive,” according to the founder of nonprofit Harper’s Playground, G Cody QJ Goldberg. Goldberg and his wife April founded Harper’s Playground when they noticed their daughter Harper, who uses a walker, had a difficult time navigating most playgrounds and parks. Their mission was to create accessible spaces where everyone could play together, implementing natural elements and a physically, socially and emotionally inviting atmosphere. Harper’s Playground projects have been completed in Portland, Forest Grove, Salem, Bainbridge Island, and as far away as Indiana, Iowa and even Tokyo. Marshall Park’s new playground is the organization’s first project in Washington state, and final fundraising efforts are currently underway to see it through to completion. I connected with Goldberg recently about the project and how community members can get involved.

(Questions and responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

NK: How will the new inclusive playground at Marshall Park resemble the beloved original design named for Chelsea Anderson?

CG: Chelsea was the daughter of Kurt Anderson [who] was a captain in the Vancouver Fire Department, so the structure was red and had a firefighter theme. The new playground will maintain the name and will include many new firefighter-themed elements, including an actual fire truck! Each play element will have a sign near the entry to its area affixed to the top of a decommissioned fire hydrant.

NK: When was the idea first conceived and then approved to makeover Marshall Park’s playground into an accessible and inclusive space?

CG: We received an email from the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington on behalf of a donor interested in helping bring our model of playground to Clark County back in May of 2018. The next step was to reach out to the [various parks directors in the county], and Julie Hannon of Vancouver’s was the first to respond and was immediately and wholly interested and supportive. Together, Harper’s Playground and Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services completed a public engagement process that very summer, which resulted in our design.

NK: When did fundraising efforts for the all-new CHAMPS begin in earnest?

CG: The fundraising began even before the design process. Our lead donors pledged $500,000 towards the project and have since doubled that commitment. Once we had our design, we launched our public fundraising efforts immediately.

NK: Where has the funding come from thus far? I know right now you’re offering community members the opportunity to purchase a brick or paver that will be engraved with a name or message from the donor and permanently installed at the park with a message from the donor.

CG: Harper’s Playground is grateful for the amount of support that has come from our local community, foundations and corporate partners. This project was spearheaded by a generous $1,000,000 gift from a local Vancouver family who wanted to help bring a radically inclusive, nature-infused playground to Southwest Washington for all to enjoy. Harper’s Playground built momentum upon that gift to raise an additional $1,800,000 with help from local organizations such as the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, and the Firstenburg Foundation, among others. We have raised money through our fundraising events, through partnerships with local Vancouver businesses, and last but not least, the exceptionally generous Southwest Washington community who have purchased bricks and pavers to take us towards the finish line. Every donation has an incredible impact on our goal and we are so thankful for everyone’s investment in this park that will bring inclusive play to everyone. To date, over 525 individuals have invested into this project.

NK: How can regular folks donate and/or get involved with the project?

CG: A trip to our website is the best way to engage. There is a “donate” button on our website directly supportive of this project, and people can still purchase personalized bricks or pavers, too. 

NK: What’s the expected timeline for completing construction of CHAMPS, if fundraising efforts go as hoped?

CG: We are crossing our fingers that the playground can open to the public just before school lets out [this] summer. That’s the plan and the hope currently. It really is tied to completing our fundraising efforts in time to be able to do so. . . . We have really enjoyed making new friendships here in Clark County and we’re overjoyed by all the generosity and enthusiasm for our model of playground. We hope anyone new to our mission and story will be inspired to get involved and to invest in play for everybody. Everybody has and deserves the right to play!

Go here to learn more about the all-new Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station (CHAMPS).

Feature image: Harper’s Playground founder G Cody QJ Goldberg stands on Marshall Park’s unfinished playground near the spot where bricks and pavers purchased by community members will be installed. Photo courtesy Harper’s Playground.