The Lions donate two inclusive playgrounds to Alessandria

Alexandria – Two inclusive playgrounds available to all Alessandrians is the gift that five Lions Clubs – LC Alessandria Host, Alessandria Marengo, Bosco Marengo Santa Croce, Bosco Marengo La Fraschetta, Leo Club – have offered to the City of Alessandria thanks to a common campaign of fundraising and the generous contributions allocated by the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation and by LCIF, the International Lions Foundation which provided 50% of the cost.
The intervention concerns the park in Viale della Repubblica, within the public gardens, located in the city centre, in a position of considerable traffic and the park in Piazza Oreste Villa, located in the Europa/Pista residential neighbourhoods, easily reachable by car and feet.
The aim of the project is to facilitate inclusive recreational/sporting activities for both children and adults, by installing equipment specifically designed and certified for joint use by able-bodied people and people with disabilities, in places open to the public and without access costs. The two parks are equipped respectively with differentiated routes for children and adults, with play areas and sports equipment easily accessible even to people with reduced mobility and can represent meeting and socialization places for those segments of the population who do not have the possibility of attending gyms or sports facilities.
“Attention to the world of disability and the elimination of physical and cultural barriers constitute a challenge that has long engaged the Lions Club of Alessandria with dedicated services and initiatives – say the presidents of the five clubs Alan Vicino, Laura Moretti, Fabrizio Priano, Maurizio Pasini, Marco Morando – For this reason we wanted to develop a project that would allow us to offer the community a free service that currently does not exist in the area, to reduce the hardship of the economically weaker population and to make two equipped green areas accessible to all citizens where they can carry out activities sports, playing and socializing at the same time. Committing to community well-being is one of Lions International’s global causes and we are proud to have been able to realize such an important project for our city. Sincere thanks to the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation and its President for the sensitivity demonstrated on this occasion too towards the problems that afflict the weakest sections of the population and to LCIF, the International Lions Foundation which doubled the sum raised, allowing us to donate two inclusive parks to our city.”
It was the past president of the LC Alessandria Host, Marcello Canestri, who proposed this service in 2022 which found immediate support from the presidents of the other four city clubs – Giorgio Melchioni, Alessandro Crivelli, Albina Trevisan, Luca Siri – who united the forces by organizing the “Dinner of Smiles” on the Meyer bridge, with the participation of around a thousand people which contributed to reaching a considerable amount, but not yet sufficient to set up the two inclusive playgrounds.
In 2023 a committee, coordinated by Alfredo Canobbio, defined the project and asked for the intervention of the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation which was decisive in integrating the fundraising and reaching the amount of approximately 46 thousand euros which LCIF doubled to cover the overall cost of the equipment. The mission of the Lions International Foundation is, in fact, to support Lions clubs in promoting health and well-being, strengthening communities, helping people in need through humanitarian services and contributions with global impact.
The two parks will be inaugurated next Saturday 22 June, at 10.30 am, in the Viale della Repubblica park in Alessandria, in the presence of Lion, civil and religious authorities.