Kiwanis Club of Lapeer, Mich., Wins Legacy of Play Contest

Funds help bring all-inclusive playground to the community

INDIANAPOLIS, IN.  (April 20, 2026) — The Kiwanis Club of Lapeer, Mich., has won the 10^th Legacy of Play Contest, sponsored by Kiwanis International and Landscape Structures Inc. The club will receive US$25,000 in inclusive playground equipment — and local children of all abilities will soon have an all-inclusive playground.

“We’re ecstatic!” club member Kara Lambourn said after learning of the award and informing her fellow Kiwanians. “We were very pleasantly surprised, but we’ve been rooting for this — along with people in our community. This will be transformational for our project.”

When the playground in Rowden Park is completed, it will fulfill an important need in Lapeer and surrounding communities: a space where everyone can play, learn and grow together. Working with such an important goal, the Kiwanis club started the project by engaging people in the community — from potential partners and donors to the families who were intended as the beneficiaries of the playground.

“We started researching five or six years ago,” Lambourn said. “We held community focus groups and kind of determined what the community’s needs and wants were.”

In addition, the club has worked closely with the City of Lapeer to ensure that the playground’s design, location and long‑term vision align with the city’s goals. The result is a design for kids of all physical and developmental abilities — including those with sensory needs, autism spectrum disorders, cognitive disabilities and other developmental challenges. With the $25,000 award, the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer has come much closer to its dream of creating an inclusive play space for all kids and families in the community.

“We’re proud of what the Kiwanis members in Lapeer are doing,” said Paul Palazzolo, executive director of Kiwanis International. “Making kids’ lives better is the heart of what Kiwanis clubs do. When members make sure that all kids in their community are included in new opportunities, that’s a special outcome.”

“This is what the Legacy of Play Contest is all about,” said Karlye Emerson, president and CEO of Landscape Structures Inc. “The Kiwanis Club of Lapeer is creating a space where every child feels welcome and included. We’re proud to support their vision alongside Penchura, our local playground consultant, and help bring life-changing play to the Lapeer community.”

This year’s contest marked the 10^th year of the Legacy of Play contest sponsored by Kiwanis and Landscape Structures. The contest’s goal is to encourage Kiwanis clubs to bring play and playgrounds to their communities, providing a legacy of play for future generations.