Greensburg's Inclusion Park receives statewide award

Awarded by Accelerate Indiana Municipalities

(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – A new park that welcomes children of all abilities is getting statewide recognition on Wednesday. 

The Building Bridges Inclusion Park in Greensburg is the recipient of the Placemaking Award from Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM). 

The park offers an inclusive playscape where children of all intellectual and physical abilities can interact and enjoy playtime together. 

“It’s incredible to see the number of families visiting the park and how engaged everyone is with the children playing,” said Officer Brendan Bridges, the project’s original sponsor and lead. “We’ve even seen schools from outside our community visit the inclusion park. It’s heartening to know that the playground is bringing in families from across the region and demonstrating that all kids, regardless of ability, can play together.”

Funding for the park was raised through a Patronicity matching grant campaign with CreatINg Spaces, a program from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. 

Additional support came from the City of Greensburg, the Greensburg Redevelopment Commission, Decatur County, First Financial Bank, the Leona Hahn Charitable Trust, CenterPoint Energy, the Decatur County Community Foundation, Disability and Autism Services of Indiana (DASI), the Greensburg Optimist Club, and the Greensburg Rotary Club. 

In addition to private donations and grant funds, numerous, generous local donors also contributed to the fundraising for the completion of the park.

The Building Bridges Inclusion Park was also included in the Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) project list, securing $250,000 in funding. 

Completed years ahead of schedule, the park officially opened in the fall of 2023. Since its opening, an estimated 15,000 families, visitors, and schoolchildren have enjoyed the park.

“The inclusion park has been a passion project for Officer Bridges for years,” said Greensburg Mayor Joshua Marsh. “Building this park from the ground up was no small task, but the City of Greensburg and our residents are proud to support such a valuable addition to our community. The park is always bustling with activity, and it’s wonderful to see our children and families interacting with people of all abilities.”