PHOENIX - Dozens of students have a brand new playground at their fingertips, and it was created special, just for them. The playground just opened on Monday at Gateway Academy in Phoenix.
From far away, the playground may just look like a bunch of swings, slides and places for kids to climb. But as you get closer, 10th-grader Erik Lindemuth will tell you it's anything but that.
"I think it's absolutely amazing, and clearly it's being put to good use," Lindemuth said. "I think they built it in such a way, it made it unique and fun."
Gateway Academy is a K-12 school for kids who are gifted and high-functioning with autism. The new grounds support their physical, sensory, and cognitive needs, says Executive Director and CEO Robin Sweet.
"Swinging helps them get back into balance," Sweet said. "The rocking helps get them back into balance."
Not to mention, it's a blast while these students also learn new skills.
"They're typical kids," Sweet said. "They want to have fun and do what everybody else does on the playground."
Whether they're walking, running, rolling or sliding, the possibilities are endless.
School executives say they're so thankful for all of the community, parents and family who donated to help make the playground a reality. The price tag was $105,000 and the school raised about $20,000 in donations.