PCF Announces $50,000 Donation for New Adaptive #ConnaughtonCourt at Stella’s Playground in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI – The Pat Connaughton Foundation (PCF) is proud to announce a $50,000 donation to support the development of Stella’s Playground, Milwaukee’s first universally accessible and inclusive playground. Located at Reservoir Park, this future community destination will include adaptive sport courts and inclusive play spaces designed to bring children and families of all abilities together.
Inspired by Stella, a courageous 10-year-old girl with a caring heart and unwavering perseverance, Stella’s Playground is being created to make Milwaukee a more inclusive, accepting, and welcoming place for all. Stella loves dragons, swimming, riding her bike, creating art, and playing with her friends and family. After a cancerous tumor was found in her brain in July of 2023, her strength and spirit inspired a vision for a playground where everyone has the opportunity to play, connect, and belong.
Stella’s Playground will be located in Reservoir Park on Meinecke Avenue between Bremen and Booth, near the Riverwest, Harambee, and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. The site was selected for its central location, strong community access, and ability to become a gathering place for families from across the city. Once complete, the playground is projected to serve more than 10,000 youth and families annually.
The playground design will include a dragon-themed play structure that reflects Stella’s courage and bravery, along with mobility-device friendly surfaces and pathways, natural and musical play elements for multi-sensory play, opportunities for challenge and adventure, spaces to gather and socialize, and adaptive sport courts. These features are intended to create an environment where children of all abilities can play side by side and build meaningful connections.
“This project is a beautiful example of what play can mean for a community,” said Joe Stanton, Development Manager at the Pat Connaughton Foundation. “Stella’s Playground is about more than building a playground or a court. It is about creating a space where every child feels welcome, included, and celebrated. We are proud to support a project that reflects so many of the values we believe in at the Pat Connaughton Foundation, including access, connection, confidence, and community.”
The $50,000 donation from the Pat Connaughton Foundation will help support the adaptive sport courts within the larger Stella’s Playground vision. The project is part of a $2 million community fundraising effort, with the goal of bringing Milwaukee’s first universally accessible and inclusive playground to life.
The donation adds to the continued momentum of the #ConnaughtonCourts initiative, which is focused on creating long-term impact in communities through high-quality athletic spaces. Through this project, PCF continues its mission of expanding access to athletics, play, and life-changing opportunities for the next generation.
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 Courts and Character-based scholarships. The PCF focuses on teaching translatable life skills such as hard work, teamwork, leadership, accountability, and discipline. Over the last ten years, the PCF has hosted 31 clinics, completed 35 courts with 5 more underway, donated more than $3.6 million, and impacted over 143,000 youth student-athletes.
About Stella’s Playground:
Stella’s Playground is a community-led effort to build Milwaukee’s first universally accessible and inclusive playground. Inspired by Stella, a courageous 10-year-old girl who loves dragons, art, swimming, biking, and playing with friends, the playground will be located at Reservoir Park in Milwaukee. The project is designed to create a destination where children and families of all abilities can play, gather, socialize, and belong. Features will include a dragon-themed play structure, mobility-device friendly surfaces and pathways, natural and musical play elements, adaptive sport courts, and inclusive spaces for the entire community.
Press Contact:
Devin Grainger
Director of Marketing & Community Engagement – Pat Connaughton Foundation
devin@patconnaughton.com