Fundraiser to Support Inclusive Playground in Bemidji Area on June 3

A local non-profit is holding a fundraiser this weekend to provide more inclusive spaces for kids to play.

The group Play and Learning for All Abilities (PLAA) was created over a year ago and is looking to create areas in the Bemidji area for kids of all abilities to have fun.

The fundraiser will be held this Saturday, June 3 at the Eagles Club in Bemidji. There will be a silent auction starting at 2 p.m. with food and a Corey Medina concert later on. The funds will go toward creating a poured-in-place area with equipment at the Solway Elementary playground.

“People assume that it’s just for wheelchair users while we’re doing this, but there’s so many mobility aids that kids of all ages have to use, such as gait trainers, crutches,” said PLAA co-chair Megan Comfort. “Not only that, but kids that struggle with balance and coordination issues, vision impairments, some disabilities that are invisible as well, sometimes the wood chips themselves can be a barrier just for sensory input stuff.”

The fundraiser is open to the public. There is a $25 cost for the pulled pork meal and the concert. To eat and browse the silent auction, organizers will have a free-will donation option.