Hansen first thought to propose the idea to Costa Mesa after a visit to a physical therapist with his 6-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair because of several severe birth defects. The therapist said the daughter’s disability didn’t have to keep her from playing with other kids, Hansen said.
“Even if handicapped kids can’t use all of the swings and stuff, it gives them an opportunity to be closer to the action,” he said of Angels Playground, which includes some slides and monkey bars that most wheelchair-users might have a hard time negotiating.
The biggest funding boost the project got was a state grant for almost $1 million, which was announced late in 2005; but the grant came with the condition that Angels Charity, a nonprofit started by Hansen and his wife, raise $350,000 to supplement the funds. The city estimates it will have chipped in about $700,000 of its own money by project completion.
“Not only the current City Council, but going back several councils, access for the disabled has been something that they have placed as a priority,” City Manager Allan Roeder said, noting that former Mayor Gary Monahan has always been one of the strongest proponents of the project. “That goes back many, many years. So when this concept came forward, it was a real good fit with the city’s general philosophy.”
Altogether, Angels Charity has collected donations from more than a thousand sources, Hansen said. He estimates the charity has contributed about $200,000 to the project in both cash and services that have been directly donated.
