Playground equipment ordered for Swifts Beach project

May 6, 2022

The new playground at Swifts Beach is one step closer to becoming a reality, after the playground equipment was ordered earlier this week.

“We made sure that this playground is inclusive,” said Christy Patalano, who’s spearheading the project.

The new playground parts, ordered from Marshfield-based Childscapes, include fitness equipment, swings and a giant pirate ship structure, among other features.

The main pirate ship feature includes a ramp for children with mobility needs, which Patalano said was an important part of the playground project. Other pieces, like the high-backed merry-go-round and high-backed swings, allow children with different needs to take part in the fun too, she explained. The playground will also offer basketball and pickleball courts.

The 30-year-old playground will be remodeled with $250,000 in Community Preservation funds approved at last year’s Fall Town Meeting.

The new equipment will likely take a few months to arrive, Patalano said, so there’s no specific date yet as to when the playground might open.

But the playground is in the endgame now, years after Patalano first had the idea of renovating the playground to improve it for local residents.

The mother said she was grateful for the help of others in Wareham who helped her through the years-long process of working with the town. She thanked Marie Grieg, who volunteers at Lopes Memorial Park, former Town Moderator Claire Smith, whose father was the namesake of the original Conway playground, former Select Board member Jim Munise and Kathleen Norris, president of the Swifts Beach Improvement Association.

To donate or purchase a personalized picket that will be fenced around the playground, those interested can reach out to swiftsbeachpark@gmail.com or visit the association’s Facebook page.