Pat Connaughton Foundation Celebrates Groundbreaking of Stella’s Playground and Adaptive #ConnaughtonCourt
MILWAUKEE, WI – Rain could not dampen the excitement surrounding Stella’s Playground on Thursday, as an incredible crowd of families, community members, project partners, supporters and local leaders gathered at Kilbourn Reservoir Park to officially break ground on Milwaukee’s first universally accessible and inclusive playground.
The October 1 ceremony marked a major milestone for a project that has been more than a year in the making and will create a first-of-its-kind destination in Milwaukee where children of all abilities can play, compete, connect and belong.
The Pat Connaughton Foundation joined the celebration as a project partner following its previously announced $50,000 commitment toward the development of adaptive sport courts at Stella’s Playground, which will become the newest #ConnaughtonCourt.
“This one means a lot to us. From the moment we heard Stella’s story and learned what she, her mom Rese, and their entire family were working to create, we knew it was something we wanted to be a part of,” said Joe Stanton, Development Manager at the Pat Connaughton Foundation. “What makes it even more special is that they took Stella’s story and turned it into an opportunity to do something good for an entire community. I think that speaks volumes about who they are as people. Those are exactly the kinds of families, people, and organizations we want to surround ourselves with and support through the Pat Connaughton Foundation. We feel incredibly lucky to play even a small role in bringing their vision to life, and we’re so thankful to Stella and her family for allowing us to be a part of something that will mean so much to so many.”
Despite steady rain during the event, supporters turned out in force to celebrate the next step in bringing Stella’s vision to life. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson was among the local leaders in attendance, recognizing the importance of creating spaces that allow children and families throughout Milwaukee to participate, play and experience their city together.
At the center of the project is Stella, a 10-year-old Milwaukee-area girl whose courage and perseverance inspired her family to envision something larger than themselves. After Stella was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in 2023, her story became the inspiration for a playground designed from the beginning around accessibility and inclusion.
During Thursday’s ceremony, Stella’s mother, Rese, reflected on what it meant to finally reach the groundbreaking milestone and to see the project become a reality not only for Stella, but for children and families throughout the city.
That spirit is at the heart of the project.
Stella’s Playground will feature a dragon-themed play structure inspired by Stella, mobility-device friendly surfaces and pathways, natural and musical elements for multi-sensory play, opportunities for challenge and adventure, gathering areas and adaptive sport courts designed so children with different physical and developmental needs can participate alongside one another.
The project is being developed at Kilbourn Reservoir Park, near Milwaukee’s Riverwest, Harambee and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. Organizers have raised approximately $1.5 million toward bringing the playground to life, and construction is expected to be completed in fall 2027.
Once complete, Stella’s Playground is projected to serve more than 10,000 youth and families annually.
For the Pat Connaughton Foundation, the adaptive courts represent another step forward for the #ConnaughtonCourts initiative and its mission of creating greater access to athletics and opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes.
The Foundation’s support of Stella’s Playground reflects that mission in a particularly meaningful way: helping create a space intentionally designed so that access is not dependent on a child’s physical ability.
Thursday’s turnout, even through the rain, offered an early glimpse of the type of community the playground hopes to create.
About Pat Connaughton Foundation
The Pat Connaughton Foundation was founded in 2016 with the mission of creating access to athletics for the next generation of student-athletes. Through its work surrounding Courts, Clinics and Character, the Foundation creates opportunities for young people while emphasizing translatable life skills including hard work, teamwork, leadership, accountability and discipline.
To learn more about the Pat Connaughton Foundation and #ConnaughtonCourts, visit PatConnaughtonFoundation.org.
About Stella’s Playground
Stella’s Playground is a community-led effort to create Milwaukee’s first universally accessible and inclusive playground. Inspired by Stella and her courage, kindness and perseverance, the playground is being developed at Kilbourn Reservoir Park as a destination where children and families of all abilities can play, gather, socialize and belong.
The playground will include inclusive play equipment, mobility-device friendly surfaces and pathways, natural and musical play elements, adaptive sport courts and community gathering spaces. Completion is anticipated in fall 2027.
Press Contact
Devin Grainger
Director of Marketing & Community Engagement
Pat Connaughton Foundation
devin@patconnaughton.com