Community rallies after imPOSSIBLE Dream playground vandalized

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 8/13/15

When Diane Penza first went to open the Impossible Dream on Thursday morning, August 13th, she knew something seemed “off”.

The Executive Director first noticed that plastic cars, strollers …

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Community rallies after imPOSSIBLE Dream playground vandalized

Posted

When Diane Penza first went to open the Impossible Dream on Thursday morning, August 13th, she knew something seemed “off”.

The Executive Director first noticed that plastic cars, strollers and other toys were thrown around when everything is normally always put away.

“The further we walked into the park the worse the damage got worse,” Penza said. “My heart just sunk.”

Sometime the night before, August 12th, someone had broken into and vandalized the playground.

Besides the broken toys, swings had been pulled down, sand removed and scattered from sand boxes, and the statues in the miniature golf area were knocked down. In the playhouses doors and windows we smashed in, some even ripped completely away from the structures.

Penza said that their was a lot of “anger” behind the damage, but she doesn't’t believe the anger was towards the playground but acted out in the park.

“We make friends not enemies. This is disheartening,” she said.

After assessing some of the damage the Impossible Dream announced on their Facebook page that they would be closed until further notice. Penza estimates there is around $5,000 worth of damage.

She said that the damage done will take a lot of “time and effort” to repair, which she doesn't’t have.

“I need to open the playground for the kids,” she said.

Just the day before over 300 people had visited the park and now Penza is unsure of when they will be able to reopen.

Her goal is to be open by Saturday, but she said children’s safety is the first priority and the park will remain closed until it is safe.

IN the meantime she will be going over the park with a “fine tooth comb” to make sure nothing else was tampered with, removing damaged toys and structures, as well as repairing what they can.

“I don’t think people realize it takes so much to keep us going,” Penza said. “You can’t do this without hard work. We are very proud of this place.”

This isn’t the first time the Impossible Dream has encountered problems. Just last month they had two of their koi fish, Jaws and Princess, stolen out of the pond at the entrance. This though is the most extensive damage they have encountered.

The police did visit the park, taking pictures and fingerprints from the playground

Penza has no idea who could have vandalized the park.

She said, “We are a positive place. We make children happy, they love coming here.”

Already the park has seen tremendous support from the community, receiving calls of concern and offers to help in anyway they can.

“This outpouring of affection is more important than what this person did,” she said.

Although money is always appreciated, the Impossible Dream is also looking for volunteers to help with clean up and repairs.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer your time visit the Impossible Dream Facebook page, or website at www.impossibledreamplayground.org You can also call 401-823-5566.

If you have any information contact the police department at 468-4200.

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