The 100 Women of Richardson organization donated $11,500 to Richardson's Inclusive Playground at the group's inaugural meeting.

   About 45 women attended the first event held at the University of Texas at Dallas last week. Due to a matching grant from The Rees-Jones Foundation in Dallas, the gift will have a $23,000 impact on the Inclusive Playground. The Rees-Jones Foundation will match donations to the playground until Dec. 15, up to a maximum of $50,000.

    Richardson's first inclusive playground will be built at Cottonwood Park with construction estimated to begin in January 2019 and completion by April 2019. The playground will utilize specialized surfaces, ramping and other techniques to make it accessible for people of all abilities and ages to play side-by-side at the facility. It will be constructed on the exact site of the current playground, replacing the dated facility.

    The playground is a collaboration between the City of Richardson and the Richardson East Rotary Club. The genesis of the project is about $200,000 in City of Richardson bond funds to replace the standard playground. Inclusive playgrounds cost considerably more due to the specialized surfaces that allow easier access, and the specialized equipment and ramping that allows access by a broader range of the population.

    There is still time to donate to the matching grant effort, effectively doubling the impact. More information on the Inclusive Playground and donations can be found here. For more information on 100 Women of Richardson, go here.