LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – Patti Grimm was only a few minutes into delivering a message of thanks Wednesday (Oct. 14, 2026) at Sanatoga Park, when two young boys did what youngsters often do best.
They played.
Grimm is president of the board of directors of Adventure Grove. It is a local non-profit whose members in 2019 recognized the value of, and the need for, an “all-inclusive playground.”
The organization champions the belief that all children, no matter what their ages and physical capabilities, should be able to play with others on the same entertaining equipment. “When we started Adventure Grove, our goal was to create a place where every child could feel like they belong,” Grimm explained.
An audience listened as she expressed her appreciation to state legislators, Lower Pottsgrove Township officials, and others. Their efforts helped to recently attract a $1 million Pennsylvania grant to make the project a reality.
State Rep. Joe Ciresi and state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, both of whom represent Pottstown area residents at the capitol in Harrisburg, symbolically delivered the money in the form of matching out-sized checks.
As Grimm talked the boys, who joined her at the podium, began rolling their toy cars across its flat top and down its side. Many listeners smiled as the kids enjoyed themselves. Grimm, smiling as well, never skipped a beat. She finished her talk to applause.
By their actions, though, the boys seemed to understand that the day’s celebration was about them and other chiuldren. All will be able to enjoy the playground over years to come.
In With The New
The Adventure Grove Inclusion Playground faces significant work before its arrival.
The $1 million grant, sourced from gambling revenues in the statewide “Local Share Account,” was obtained in part through the bipartisan work of Pennycuick and Ciresi. The project also received a separate state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for $264,000.
Those funds, combined with money already raised, puts Adventure Grove closer than ever to the project’s $1.6 million price tag.
The new playground is destined to replace a 22-year-old existing facility at the park’s “upper” entrance on South Sanatoga Road. Engineering work and bid specifications must be updated. Both are expected to be finalized within months.
Importantly, Adventure Grove notes, the renovated space “will go beyond basic ‘Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)’ accessibility.” It intends “to accommodate a range of physical, developmental, and sensory needs, including those of children with autism.”
The closest facility like it, according to Lower Pottsgrove Commissioner Bill Keohane, operates in Quakertown PA … a 43-minute drive away.
The preliminary playground design includes a sensory hut (considered a “quiet zone”), a sensory walk, a Braille pad for the blind or visually impaired, and large tactile floor games to promote creative play.
Also on the drawing board are a pavilion with picnic tables, an ADA-compliant active play structure for kids ages 2-15 years, and other accessible and inclusive features.
Potential contractors will be required to submit sealed bids to the township. If the current project timeline stands and approvals are issued, construction could start in the second half of 2027.
Growth Through Collaboration
All involved acknowledge the project has grown, and benefited from, collaboration at local, regional, and state levels.
A shared vision among Adventure Grove, state officials, township personnel, and regional parks planner Tricia McCloskey also helped. “We are now able to bring that vision to life at Sanatoga Park,” Keohane said.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to play, explore and connect with others in a space that welcomes them,” Pennycuick observed. “This investment will help create that kind of environment for children and families in the Pottsgrove community. I’m proud to have supported a project that will make such a meaningful difference.”
“I was glad to work across the aisle to support this project and help secure the funding needed to move it forward,” Ciresi added. The park will offer “children of all abilities a place to play side by side, and families a place to come together,” he said.
But not children alone. “I love a good playground!,” Ciresi proclaimed. He proved it after the ceremony, by taking his seat on a nearby swing. Other kids followed his lead.
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