Sharlee Anderson of Red Deer is joined on stage by members of the Make a Move with Jagger Foundation during the second annual Grand Masquerade Gala Saturday. 

By Sheldon Spackman

Access for All

Grand Masquerade Gala supports Access for All playscape

Apr 1, 2019 | 4:49 PM

Nearly 100 community supporters gathered at the Black Knight Inn on Saturday to help raise money for a one-of-a-kind playground in Red Deer.

The second annual Grand Masquerade Gala was held in support of the Access for All, barrier-free playscape at Mattie McCullough Elementary School, a one-of-a-kind playground offering accessibility for people of all ages and abilities.

Hosted by the Make a Move with Jagger Foundation, the event featured dinner and dancing, door prizes, live and silent auction items to bid on, live entertainment and the satisfaction of helping a great cause.

The idea for the all access, barrier-free playground project began in 2016 when classmates of then seven year-old Jagger Anderson wanted their friend to be able to enjoy the school’s playground apparatus like they did.

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Anderson has been diagnosed with IP36 Deletion Syndrome, a chromosomal syndrome that creates speech and motor development delays and has him largely confined to a wheelchair.

The children’s initiative then captured the hearts of eventual partners such as the Rotary Clubs of Red Deer and surrounding areas, Rotaract, the City of Red Deer and Mattie McCullough Elementary School.

Sharlee Anderson, Jagger’s mother, says she’s very proud of the community’s continued support for the project.

“It’s almost like a dream,” she exclaims. “I’m very proud of the community that has just come together and it’s really made us want to work harder to make sure every kid of every-ability is able to come. That’s where we’re kind of expanding our Foundation, is to how can we support other families with medically complex children to be able to come to the playground?”

Anderson admits she gets a lump in her throat every time she looks back on how the initiative started.

“You would think something of that magnitude would come from a group of adults,” explains Anderson. “But from grade two’s, eight-year-old children, seven-year-old children to think of that is just mind blowing and phenomenal.”

Despite plans for the playground’s completion this fall, Anderson encourages the community to keep supporting it.

“We still need the finances, we still need the support. Just keep showing up to these events.”

The three-year, $577,000 project saw Phase 1 open in 2017, Phase 2 open in 2018 and Phase 3 to open later this fall.

Kathy Skelton from the Make a Move with Jagger Foundation says part of Phase 3 will include the installation of two picnic tables, with one of them being wheelchair accessible.

“Once that’s paid for, the rest of the money will go towards funding families with disabilities that have needs,” she explains. “So we’re starting an application process with that so that we can start filling some of those needs. We also have a number of new people that have joined as far as donors go into this fundraiser as well which is nice.”

Skelton says the Access for All playground at Mattie McCullough Elementary School has been well-received by the community.

“My son goes to the school still, it’s his last year there,” she exclaims. “But I know when we drive by there’s constantly people. More adults that I see on there as well and I’ve had the opportunity to witness parents that are there in wheelchairs that are with kids and grandkids, it’s all the reason that we did it.”