Fiscal court to celebrate newly installed playground equipment with ribbon-cutting ceremony

Braylee Jo Roberts to serve as master of ceremonies

OWENTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2022) — The Owen County Fiscal Court will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly installed all-inclusive playground set at the Owen County Park and Fairgrounds, 355 Ellis Road, Owenton.

The ceremony is slated for 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, coinciding with the Three Rivers District Health Department's Halloween trick-or-treat and StoryWalk event.

"The response we've had from the community as it relates to the playground set has been overwhelming," Owen County Judge/Executive Casey Ellis said. "This project was a long time in the works but seeing the crowd of kids enjoying it each day made it well worth the wait."

The playground replaces equipment well beyond its lifecycle with modernized, handicapped-accessible features, which local mom Courtney Roberts and her family have advocated for on behalf of her daughter, Braylee Jo, since park and fairgrounds improvement plans began in 2015.

Although Braylee Jo's cerebral palsy diagnosis affects her ability to walk and talk, she has a unique way of communicating using eye-gaze control technology, which uses the movements of her eyes to operate a speech-generating device. The 11 year old has many hobbies and interests, including going to school with her friends and spending time at the local park playground.

"I would like to thank Judge Ellis and the entire fiscal court for making this happen for all the children in our community," Roberts said. "It’s important to us that Braylee and children like her have the opportunity to be included in activities with their peers. This playground will allow that and so much more and will be a blessing to our family and all the special needs families in our community."

To honor the Roberts family's dedication to improving life for local special needs children, Braylee Jo will serve as master of ceremonies.

The new playground equipment is made possible through the acquisition of a 50/50 match grant from the playground equipment company GameTime.

The Three Rivers District Health Department's trick-or-treat and StoryWalk event, scheduled from 5-6:30 p.m., invites families to bring their children to enjoy a Halloween-themed book at the new StoryWalk and trick-or-treat along the trail. Local businesses and organizations will be set up at one of the 18 StoryWalk stands to read a page of the book and pass out candy or prizes as trick-or-treaters come by.