NEW HAVEN | June 13, 2000 -- When she was 8 years old, Hannah Kristan wheeled her wheelchair into Mayor John DeStefano's office and told him she wanted a small piece of land in East Shore Park to build a playground that children of all abilities and disabilities could enjoy.
Nearly five years later, Hannah, now 12, who was born with spina bifida, watched as more than 200 volunteers worked 22 hours over two days this past weekend to build the playground already known as "Hannah's Dream."
About 110 people showed up Saturday and about 95 came Sunday to blitz-build the three-part playground designed and engineered by Minnesota-based Landscape Structures, Inc.
Called a "boundless" playground, the facility will include three separate areas geared toward different ages and abilities, according to Mal Gill, president of the Easter Seals-Goodwill Industries Rehabilitation Center in New Haven.
"About 95 percent of the structure for the older children will be wheelchair accessible," Gill said.
Hannah, on hand with her parents Chris and Karen Kristan, brother Nathanael, 7, and sister Isabelle, 2, could hardly contain her glee as the bright green structural pieces were put in place.
"It's wonderful!" she said. "It's great to have my dream come true after four years of hard work by everyone."
Landscape Structures sent four people to oversee the project and about 75 members of the New Haven Building and Construction Trade Unions, led by Ben Cozzi, provided a good portion of the labor, Gill said.
Hannah conducted bake and T-shirt sales, and personally solicited donations.
But Hannah said the dream wouldn't have become a reality without the generous contributions of many others. They include the Hasbro Children's Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, SNET, the Jeffrey M. and Barbara Icower Foundation, Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary, Janet Wechter, New Haven Savings Bank Foundation, Citizens Bank, Bayer Corp., St. Raphael Foundation, Friends of the Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven and many others.
Yale-New Haven Hospital also provided all the food and beverages needed to feed the volunteers both days. Midge Buckholz, who lives across the street from the playground, baked nearly 90 muffins Sunday morning and sent them over to the volunteers with her husband, Bob.
"We couldn't help with the digging and hammering," Buckholz said, "but I can bake and wanted to do something to help."
Joe Scafati, deputy director of maintenance for the city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees, said the playground will take up about 2.5 acres at the park.
"We ran into a little trouble," Gill said, "and we won't be able to finish the work today, but we'll be back next week."
Gill said the concrete to anchor the structures needs to set a few days before the surface can be poured, and the surface needs to set a few days before it's ready for use.
"We're probably looking at two or three weeks before it's ready to go," he said.
"What's a few more weeks when I've been waiting for four years?" Hannah said.
