It’s possible that within the next few months county officials could begin to develop Clemyjontri park in McLean. The Fairfax County Park Foundation has set an “aggressive” fund-raising schedule that it hopes will build enough capital to have the park and playground up and running next year.
Jean White with the Fairfax County Park Foundation said, “We’d like it to be by next summer. That’s aggressive but that’s the only way you get somewhere, by setting an aggressive schedule.”
To help them get there, the McLean Citizen’s Foundation presented a check to the Friends of Clemyjontri for $25,000 last week. The McLean Citizens Foundation has pledged a total of $50,000 to be paid in installments over the next two years to help build the playground in McLean.
Clemyjontri will be the first and only completely handicapped-accessible playground in the county. The park is the brainchild of Adele Lebowitz who donated her 18 acre property in McLean to the Fairfax County Park Authority under the direction that the park contain a playground for children with disabilities.
The Fairfax County Park Foundation became involved in the project because it was an unexpected donation that the Park Authority did not have the funds to complete it right away. “We’ve made a committment to the community so our fund raising will continue,” said White. Fund raising efforts to build the unique park, which will have a carousel, are currently underway.
<1b>— Meredith Billman-Mani