By: Kaylee Simmons

Jill Culler, a 3rd grade teacher at Bell Creek Intermediate,was the teacher of the class that had the idea of a more inclusive playground at BCI two years ago. “When EagleLand 1 had to be torn down cause it was getting run down, they decided that they would name the new one EagleLand 2 so that’s where the name came from,” Culler said. “EagleLand 2 is a inclusive playground for the Bellbrook community and surrounding communities or anyone to come and play” 

One of the kids that inspired the idea for a new playground was Trent Kapfhammer. “When Trent was in third grade in Mrs. Culler’s class, his friends had a vision because they were upset their friend couldn’t play with them on the playground,” Ella Kapfhammer, Trent’s older sister and a sophomore at Bellbrook High School, said.

Since Trent uses a wheelchair, he was unable to play on the playground with the other kids. There was only one part of it he could get to that had a ramp. Besides that, he was just watching his friends play. When the group of third graders realized it, they thought it was a problem.

“We ran up to Mrs. Culler and said we should do a playground for Trent, Libby and other kids,” Elaina Stephens, current 5th grader, said. 

They started trying to get this idea into action. “They went to the Lions Club and presented their idea to make a accessible playground,” Ella Kapfhammer said. “They were granted money for the playground.”

The students started fundraising and got the money they needed to make this happen.  

“EagleLand 2 lets Trent be able to play with his friends more because he loves to hang out with all of them,” Ella Kapfhammer said. “There’s a zip line, a swing, and a little spinny thing that he can actually go on. It’s really cool.” 

EagleLand 2 fully opened on September 3. Elaina Stephens and her class were the first students to play on it. “When we were walking out and Trent first saw it, he had a huge smile on his face,” Stephens said. “And Libby just ran to it.”