MADISONVILLE, KY — The Rog Badgett All-Inclusive Pediatric Play Park has undergone its first major improvements since the park opened in June of 2019.  With the installation of new sunshade canopies, families and pediatric therapy patients at Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville will now be able to comfortably utilize the park all summer long.
 
Early in 2024, the Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Foundation proposed the idea of adding sunshades to the pediatric play park.  Carhartt, Inc., with a mission to serve and protect those in the communities where they have a footprint, graciously stepped forward and offered their support to the project.
 
“At Carhartt, we’re proud to partner with organizations whose mission statement aligns with our own, and we’re thrilled to support the Madisonville community with the installation of sunshades at the all-inclusive pediatric playground at Baptist Health Deaconess to give all children an equal opportunity to play,” said Amy Fencyk, Director of Corporate Stewardship at Carhartt. “We hope the new canopies will provide year-round fun and bring plenty of smiles for children in the area, while also having a positive impact on their health and well-being.”
 
As the park is regularly utilized for pediatric therapy, providing shade during the hot summer months was a top priority.
 
“The canopies will protect our pediatric patients from excessive sun and hot surfaces, creating a more comfortable and safer environment for them to engage in their therapy session,” said Jennifer Pruitt, a pediatric physical therapist at Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville.  “During warm weather, the equipment becomes too hot and unsafe to utilize. The canopies will help keep the equipment cool and allow us to utilize the playground to provide services to children.”
 
If you would like to donate towards future improvements at the Rog Badgett All-Inclusive Pediatric Play Park or other pediatric therapy initiatives, please contact Ashley Galvan with the Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Foundation at ashley.galvan@baptistdeaconess.com.