Keli Grace Altop spoke last week at the special ribbon cutting for the new wheelchair-accessible swings at the Doodle Park. Keli is a 2018 graduate of Pickens High School.
Jeff Holt | The Easley Progress
EASLEY — There was not a dry eye in the crowd last week when Keli Grace Altop spoke at Doodle Park.
“I didn’t have a swing to swing on (growing up),” said the 24-year-old Altop, speaking into the microphone with a crowd of several community leaders and 100-plus local residents. “I never thought it was possible, but I’m so thankful and blessed now that I have a way to swing. When I was little, my parents used to carry me everywhere and put me into the swings. Now, they won’t have to worry about that and I can be a part of everyone else’s world. I want to thank you all so much.”
Altop spoke at a special ribbon-cutting last week, announcing the new wheelchair-accessible swing at Doodle Park. Youth Leadership Academy raised over $25,000 to help make this happen.
Added Keli’s mom, Janet, “We pretty much avoided playgrounds growing up when she was smaller simply because there were no swings for her to swing on. I felt bad when all the other children were swinging and she wasn’t. To have a swing for these children is a definite blessing.”
Christman Short, the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Easley, was in attendance and lit up when talking about it all.
“This is the only one in the city of Easley,” said Short. “It’s just a wonderful amenity to be able to offer our residents and to our visitors. The city of Pickens, the Parks Recreation Director and myself strategically planned where we were going to put this because we do share the Doodle Trail. So last year, YLA (Youth Leadership Academy) came to us and asked if we would accept their donation and we said absolutely. We decided what better spot to have it than our Doodle Park. Not only can you enjoy the trail, but you can come to both parks.”
Short said there is another wheelchair accessible swing on the way in the future, but she could not give the location at this time.
Looking back, these types of projects for the community are what make the town of Easley (and Pickens) what they are. To see the gratitude and gratefulness on the faces of ones like the Altop family … is priceless.
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.