The imPOSSIBLE Dream playground that was vandalized last Wednesday has experienced an outpouring of community generosity since the incident.

When the news broke Thursday, the community quickly rallied to set things right, enabling the playground to reopen Saturday. Two Warwick male juveniles have been arrested in connection with the damage estimated at $9,000. Executive Diane Penza still finds the entire episode remarkable from the malicious damage to how people responded.

“I can’t believe,” she said yesterday, “that these two young men grew up in Warwick and did not know this is a special playground…so you are damaging this one, so where are kids going to play?”

Penza plans to be in court when the young men appear before the judge. She wants to hear what the judge will tell them.

But then the community response has been a tremendous uplift. She pointed to the outpouring of donations of materials, cash and services. Not only did volunteers power wash all the equipment, but also repaired damage and replaced items that couldn’t be repaired.

“We had a little army here,” she said. Penza said she finds it heartening how people have taken ownership of the playground. “This is their playground,” she said.

Penza estimated an average of 100 kids visit the playground daily with many families coming to Warwick from across the state and out of state.

The donations continued to come in yesterday with members of Jesse’s Roamers, a motorcycle club formed in 1939, delivering a $5,000 check.

Vin Francesconi said that the club actually disbanded a few years ago and former members of the group agreed to close out the club’s account and donate the money to The imPOSSIBLE Dream. When active, he said the club would conduct fundraising drives for the playground.