Stories from Rish Park Summer 2015

By JR Harding; Ed.D

The summer of 2015 was full of adventure, excitement, and family gatherings at William J. Rish Recreational Park operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).  The ongoing partnership between APD, Florida State University (FSU) Law Enforcement, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge Number 5, came through with flying colors for families on the APD Medicaid waiver waiting list. The scholarship program sent six APD families to Rish Park creating memories for a lifetime. The park scholarship gave them the opportunity to enjoy the limitless summer at the state’s very own, barrier-free beach paradise, located on the St. Joseph Peninsula. This summer retreat, tucked away in the Panhandle, always allows its guest and campers to enjoy the outdoors in an accessible manner. 

The Salove Family visited Rish Park in late May and were the first APD family to kick- off the 2015 summer season. Karley, mother of Sebastian, expressed that, “The Rish Park staff (Victor, Terry, & Billy) assured that our stay was comfortable with all special needs met.” They further stated that, “The family cottage is spacious which allowed Sebastian to explore freely in his gait trainer. The staff encouraged us to adjust furniture (and beds) as needed to meet our family needs. Sebastian loved the chance to walk the boardwalk in his gait trainer, from our cottage door to the pool and the beach. For the first time in his life, he had greater access to the beach and the Gulf of Mexico, thanks to the beach wheelchair that the staff made available. And for the first time in his life, we as family found a vacation spot with accommodations that meet our unique needs.”

Sebastian, Cecilin, Nateo.

The Hutchinson family of Jacksonville enjoyed one of Rish Park’s famous amenities, the beach wheelchair. The Hutchison family stated, “It was so nice to spend some quality family time together in a lovely, peaceful beach setting. A sunset stroll on the beach one night is something we have never been able to do before! Rish Park will continue to be an exciting adventure for our family. We had a great time and are already planning a return!”

Erin, Michael, and Jack.

The Chadwell family known amongst their friends as “Team Hayden” traveled from the Jacksonville area as well. The family wrote it had a stupendous family camping trip. “The first time we were all together in four miracle years! We visited Apalachicola, Cape San Blas, and Port St. Joe! We played board games, swam in the pool, enjoyed the beach, grilled out, and met great neighbors. We are forever grateful for the generous scholarship to visit Rish Park and will be returning next year!”

Team Hayden.

Traveling from Central Florida, the Mulligan family, went out of their way to send and express their gratitude to the Rish Park Scholarship program. According to Michael, Tina, Jarrod, and Zachorary, “The beach wheel chair was a lot of fun and very helpful for Jarrod. We really liked riding the golf cart on the beach. We look forward to returning to Rish Park again especially when the expansion has been completed.”

Michael and Jarrod.

The Howard family, traveled to Rish Park from the Pensacola area, “We finally found the park after a solid hour of Ben repeating “Beach,” “Beach,” “Beach,” for an hour in repetition and not understanding why we could not stop in Mexico Beach along the way. As soon as we pulled in we were greeted by the park’s maintenance man.” Jim Howard, the father of Ben, stated, “I have stayed in beach condos that charged hundreds of dollars a day for everything that Rish Park offers. For people and families with members who have disabilities this was the best hidden secret in the state of Florida.”

Jim and Ben.

The Whittington family had the pleasure of wrapping up the Rish Park 2015 scholarship season. Jacob, from Tallahassee, stated; “The experience was amazing. I was able to catch crabs the size of my palm, play basketball, and other games. It was a wonderful way to spend my 17th birthday weekend! My dad and I barbequed fish I caught on the grill and mom treated me to chocolate gelato. I definitely want to come back!”

Jacob.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities in conjunction with FSU and the Order of the Odd Fellows, Lodge Number 5, are very touched by the heartfelt feelings and the experiences that the families shared.  APD encourages other families to make plans to visit Rish Park soon.

Construction is expected to be finished in early 2016 of several amenities on the bayside of the park. These features include an accessible board walk, designated fishing area, floating dock, family sized bathrooms, and greater access to the wild life. Please contact Onna Lipford at 850-482-9371 or www.Rishpark.org for park reservations.