Charity to Help Make Playground Fun for Disabled Children
West Long Branch is working with a charity to install playground equipment for disabled children in Conway Park.
Alyssa's Angels, a nonprofit group headed by Antonio and Casey Cantaffa of West Long Branch, proposed the playground to the borough last month.
Mayor Janet Tucci said she directed the borough's Recreation Commission to coordinate with the charity to put the equipment in the 3.3-acre park on the north side of Parker Road, by the Betty McElmon School.
The Cantaffas founded Alyssa's Angels in 2003 to help their daughter, Alyssa, and other children who are mentally or physically disadvantaged.
The charity has raised money through various events, such as the annual Night of the Angels. More than 300 people attended the Jan. 27 event at Old Orchard Country Club, Eatontown, raising about $64,000, Casey Cantaffa said.
Joseph DiLeonardo, recreation commission chairman, said he expects the commission and Alyssa's Angels to pool financial resources to buy the special equipment.
"This equipment is fairly expensive," he said. "A piece of modular equipment can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000."
The timing of Alyssa's Angels' proposal couldn't have been better, DiLeonardo said.
"We were in the process of having the broken down playground equipment removed from Conway Park by the borough's public works department," DiLeonardo said.
The plan is to develop a park like Dorbrook Park in Colts Neck, which has playground equipment specially suited for disadvantaged children, DiLeonardo said.
The special equipment could be slides that aren't as high or steep as standard slides, and swings with higher backs, Casey Cantaffa said.
Rubberized mulch might be used instead of sand at the base of the swings and slides to prevent injury in falls, DiLeonardo said.
"We had a meeting scheduled with our engineer and Alyssa's representatives this week," DiLeonardo said. "I want to move this ahead to the bidding stage so that we can have this ready before the spring."
