Courtney’s SandCastle Universal Playground & Sensory Garden in San Clemente

Carnival Colossal Begins with Special Needs Fair – Newspaper Article

Courtney SandCastle Charitable Foundation Wins Volunteer Merit Award Congratulations to the Courtney SandCastle Charitable Foundation. The volunteers who worked so hard to bring to completion this successful, unique playground, received a well deserved Volunteer Merit Award at the California Parks & Recreation Society District 10 Awards Banquet, April 2015. This honor was given in recognition of outstanding contribution to the community. Congratulations and thank you to ALL the volunteers that contributed!

March 19, 2015 – San Clemente Times Article

Click on Image to view article Sensory Garden Grand Opening

OC Register June 17, 2014 by Fred Swegles

Courtney’s SandCastle gives special needs children a place to play

Pamela Passow, recreation manager for San Clemente, pushes Lucas Boucly, 4, of R.H. Dana Exceptional Needs Facility on a swing during a June 12 field trip to Courtney’s SandCastle, a universal-access playground at Vista Hermosa Sports Park in San Clemente.

Kira Roling of R.H. Dana Exceptional Needs Facility plays with a musical installment. Plans are under way to add a sensory garden.

Independence facilitator Becky Ticer helps Lindsey Edwards, 4, of Philip J. Reilly Elementary School make her way down a slide after she is taken off her wheelchair during a field trip at Courtney’s SandCastle in San Clemente on June 12.

OC Register May 22, 2014 by Fred Swegles

City leaders hire contractor to build the $439,579 structure as the final touch to Courtney’s SandCastle.

Courtney Smith, 17, and Sharla Pitzen of Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation present San Clemente with $50,000 to help complete funding to add a sensory garden to the Courtney’s SandCastle universal-access playground.

San Clemente’s Courtney Smith was 4 years old in 2001 when adults in her life set out to find a way to build south Orange County’s first universal-access playground in her name.

On Tuesday night, the now-17-year-old, who has spinal muscular atrophy, was all smiles as San Clemente’s elected leaders hired a contractor to build a $439,579 sensory garden as the final touch to Courtney’s SandCastle, a playground that opened in 2012 at Vista Hermosa Sports Park.

“This has been a very long journey for all of us,” Smith said.

The City Council accepted a $50,000 donation from the Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation to help close a $113,000 funding gap. Taylor Morrison, new owner of San Clemente’s Marblehead Coastal residential development, donated $70,000 to close the gap completely, the city said.

Earlier, the foundation raised $340,000 toward the sensory garden, which will include a path, shade structure, tidal pool, interactive granite water sphere and music panels.

We are happy to announce that we received an $8,000.00 grant award for a strade structure to be installed in the Phase II Sensory Garden from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

American Academy of Dermatology Grant Recipients

Thank you to Dr. Maryam Moinfar for sponsoring the Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation.

The Giving for Good event at the home of Michael Kaupp raises $9,000 toward a shade structure for the Courtney’s SandCastle playground.  Broadway’s Megan Starr-Levitt sang various Broadway pieces with Evan Sachs at the piano. It was a magical night!!!

click here to see Video of Courtney & Megan singing together

The Courtney’s Sandcastle Charitable Foundation hosted an “Evening of Giving” event on Friday, December 28, 2012.  The event raised approximately $45,000 ($90,000 with the City Matching challenge).

The Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation receives a generous donation from the Friends of the San Clemente Beaches, Parks & Recreation for $20,000 ($13,000 additional to the $7,000 previously received) from the Carnival Colossal event proceeds.