Shane's Inspiration is a California-based nonprofit organization that works toward creating accessible playgrounds and supporting inclusive play, through projects in the United States and abroad.
Shane's Inspiration is a California-based nonprofit organization that works toward creating accessible playgrounds and supporting inclusive play, through projects in the United States and abroad.
Shane's Inspiration was founded in 1998, by television producer Scott A. Williams and his wife Catherine Curry-Williams, and their friend Tiffany Harris, in memory of Scott and Catherine's son Shane, who died in infancy from the effects of spinal muscular atrophy. [1] [2] They were inspired in part by the work of Amy Jaffe Barzach, founder of Boundless Playgrounds a few years earlier. [3] The flagship Shane's Inspiration playground in Griffith Park opened in the autumn of 2000. [4]
Since the first playground was established, more than fifty community playgrounds have followed, large and small, with involvement from Shane's Inspiration which may include help with design, sourcing materials, grant writing, working with local governments, or other steps in the process. Among their completed projects are Aidan's Place in Westwood, [5] Brandon's Village in Calabasas, [6] Chanticleer Park in Live Oak, [7] [8] SEBA Park in Elgin, Illinois, [9] Winwood's Enchanted Playground in Hutchinson, Kansas, [10] Fernangeles Park in Sun Valley, California, [11] and inclusive playgrounds in Cuenca, Ecuador [12] and Bangalore, India. [13]
In addition to the building of physical playgrounds, Shane's Inspiration has developed curricula and social programming to sustain inclusive play at the sites it develops. [14] Shane's Inspiration has also collaborated with Too Small to Fail and equipment manufacturer Landscape Structures Inc., to create playground signage in English and Spanish that encourages conversations between parents and children. [15]
Fundraising activities for Shane's Inspiration include the annual "Walk and Roll" event in Griffith Park. [16] [17]
Calabasas is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Situated between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountains, 29.9 miles (48.1 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Calabasas has a population of 22,491.
Hidden Hills is a city and gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California. It is located next to the cities of Los Angeles and Calabasas. The population was 2,107 as of 2022.
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming known to television audiences for his recurring role as diner owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on the sitcom series Happy Days (1975-83). He was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of martial arts mentor Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), which would be the first of a media franchise in which Morita was the central player.
Cuenca, officially Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, is an Ecuadorian city, head of the canton of the same name and capital of the province of Azuay, as well as its largest and most populated city. It is crossed by the Tomebamba, Tarqui, Yanuncay and Machángara rivers, in the south-central inter-Andean region of Ecuador, in the Paute river basin, at an altitude of 2,538 meters above sea level and with a temperate Andean climate averaging 16.3 °C.
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the American West, the Griffith Observatory, and the Hollywood Sign. Due to its appearance in many films, the park is among the most famous municipal parks in North America.
The Karate Kid Part III is a 1989 American martial arts drama film, the third entry in the Karate Kid franchise and a sequel to The Karate Kid Part II (1986). It stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Robyn Lively, and Thomas Ian Griffith in his film debut. As was the case with the first two films in the series, it was directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, with stunts choreographed by Pat E. Johnson and music composed by Bill Conti. In the film, the returning John Kreese, with the help of his former army friend Terry Silver, attempts to gain revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi which involves recruiting a ruthless martial artist and harming their relationship.
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Inclusive recreation, also known as adaptive or accessible recreation, is a concept whereby people with disabilities are given the opportunity to participate in recreational activities. Through the use of activity modifications and assistive technology, athletes or participants in sports or other recreational pursuits are able to play alongside their non-disabled peers. The Boy Scouts of America, for example, has about 100,000 physically or mentally disabled members throughout the United States.
The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including lectures, film, theater, festivals, family events, and music, and performs scholarship, research, and educational outreach. It attracts about 150,000 visitors annually.
Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium in Carlsbad, California, based on the Lego toy brand. Opening on March 20, 1999, it was the first Legoland park to open outside of Europe. The park is currently owned by Merlin Entertainments, which took a controlling interest in 2005. The second park in the United States is Legoland Florida, which opened in 2011. A third park, Legoland New York, opened in May 2021.
Morgan's Wonderland is an accessibility-focused theme park in San Antonio, Texas founded in 2010. The park was developed by Gordon Hartman, a former homebuilder from San Antonio. Morgan's Wonderland has had over a net million guests since its opening in 2010. The park features several attractions including rides, playgrounds, gardens, a catch-and-release fishing lake, a special-event center, and 575-seat amphitheater. The park's focus on accessibility makes it free for disabled individuals to attend the park.
Scott A. Williams is an American television writer and producer, as well as co-founder of Shane's Inspiration, a non-profit that builds playgrounds for kids of ALL abilities. Scott has worked on the NBC crime dramas Brooklyn South and Third Watch. He worked as a co-executive producer and writer for the Fox police procedural Bones from 2006 to 2009. He was nominated for an Edgar Award for his work on the series Brooklyn South. He is now a writer and executive producer on NCIS.
SkyPark at Santa's Village is an outdoor adventure park with year-round mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing and open air activities in the Skyforest section of Lake Arrowhead, California. It opened on December 2, 2016, on the site of the former Santa's Village amusement park, which operated from 1955 until 1998.
The 15th Youth in Film Awards ceremony, presented by the Youth in Film Association, honored outstanding youth performers under the age of 21 in the fields of film, television and theatre for the 1992-1993 season, and took place on February 5, 1994, at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California.
Lovesick is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Luke Matheny and written by Dean Young. The film stars Matt LeBlanc as a man who tries to prevent his strange psychological condition from affecting his new relationship, with Ali Larter, Adam Rodriguez, and Chevy Chase in supporting roles.
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people with disabilities. A playground might exclude children below a certain age.
InsideOUT Writers (IOW) is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that conducts weekly writing classes inside Los Angeles County juvenile halls and jails. IOW also serves as a support network for formerly incarcerated young people. Since 1996, more than 11,000 youth have participated in over 15,000 classes.
Jhegson Sebastián Méndez Carabalí is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club São Paulo, and the Ecuador national team.
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Gail Lerner from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris and Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, with Shawn Levy serving as an executive producer. It is the third film adaptation of the 1948 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and his sister Ernestine Gilbreth Carey following the 1950 and 2003 films. The film stars Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen, and Timon Kyle Durratt with supporting roles by Christian Cote, Sebastian Cote, Christina Anthony, Caylee Blosenski, Journey Brown, Brittany Daniel, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Cynthia Daniel Hauser in her first acting role since 2002, Abby Elliott, Ron Funches, Leo Abelo Perry, Luke Prael, June Diane Raphael, Andre Robinson, Kylie Rogers, and Aryan Simhadri. It tells the story of a restaurant proprietor and his second wife as they raise the kids from the restaurateur's previous marriage, the second wife's family, and the children they later conceived as their respective exes are still involved in their children's lives.
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