Thursday, May 9, 2019 was a little brighter and more inclusive thanks to the budding leadership and vision of Brent Henry, a seventh grader from Goddard, Kansas. His vision showcased during the League of Kansas Municipalities this year painted a world that included play spaces where children with and without disabilities play together. Henry could have focused on anything while imaging being a “Mayor”, and he chose to call for community collaboration and the mobilization of funds for something so basic, yet so critical… play.
Brent Henry was pleasantly surprised at Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School assembly when Justin Long, Sales Associate of Cunningham Recreation and Victoria Babb, Community Resource Manager of Play 4 ALL, presented him with the Play 4 ALL Youth Champion 4 Inclusion Award along with a “Buddy Bench” for the district’s local elementary school. We hope that one day, his vision of more inclusive play spaces will become a reality…future generations depend on it.
The Play 4 ALL Youth Champion 4 Inclusion Award recognizes tomorrow’s leaders for understanding the value of not only standard play environments but play environments that promote inclusion. “The call for a more kind and compassionate generation will truly transform our world,” Babb says. “Brent understands this at his age, imagine the social impact he will have on communities during the years ahead.”
