How Kayla’s Krew Built an Inclusive Playground

How Kayla’s Krew Built an Inclusive Playground

“It has been simply amazing to see kids playing on the playground.”

When 8-year-old Kayla Runte passed away from complications of cerebral palsy in 2012, her family and friends wanted to honor her life in a way that reflected her joyful spirit. Their vision: a playground where children of all abilities could play side by side.

That dream became Kayla’s Krew, a Franklin, Wisconsin-based nonprofit with a mission to build an all-inclusive playground that Kayla could have enjoyed herself.

Overcoming Obstacles to Build a Playground for Every Child

Creating a truly accessible playground takes more than good intentions — it takes grit. Kayla’s Krew spent years navigating the complex realities of turning an ambitious idea into something real.

They faced challenges at every stage:

• Raising significant funds for specialized, ADA-compliant equipment and safe surfacing.
• Finding the right location and gaining approval from city officials and community stakeholders.
• Coordinating volunteers across multiple fundraising events, construction phases, and weather delays.
• Keeping momentum through years of planning, meetings, and red tape — all while staying true to their mission.

Through it all, the team never lost sight of their goal. After years of dedication, they raised more than $250,000 and partnered with the city to make Kayla’s Playground a reality.

The result is a large, fully accessible space featuring soft padding, ramps, and a Liberty Swing that accommodates children who use wheelchairs. Volunteer Coordinator Darla Miller helped bring it all together using SignUpGenius to organize fundraisers and manage volunteers for the massive playground build.

“We’ve had fundraisers where we only needed a handful of volunteers. Building our playground required the help of over 2,000 volunteers,” Darla said. “Being able to organize and communicate easily was key.”

Organizing a Community Effort

With so many moving parts, Darla relied on SignUpGenius to streamline communication. The ability to send targeted messages and add attachments made it easy to share parking maps, site rules, and liability waivers without juggling multiple email lists.

“It was a lifesaver because I didn’t have to recreate my mailing list someplace else,” she explained. “Our build was done in two phases, so I could target those people signed up for specific dates and get all the information out to them in a professional-looking email.”

The simple sign up format also encouraged more community members to get involved. “It’s easy for our volunteers to forward the sign up to family and friends to allow them to sign up for convenient times,” Darla shared.

A Bright Spot for the Community

When Kayla’s Playground officially opened in fall 2015, it quickly became a beloved community hub.

“The weekend of the ribbon cutting the line was five-deep for kids waiting to get on the Liberty Swing,” Darla said. “This has created such a bright spot for people with challenges. They can finally go to a playground with their friends and play right alongside them.”

From one family’s vision to a community-wide effort, Kayla’s Krew brought inclusion and joy to Franklin — one sign up and one volunteer at a time.

Bring Your Vision to Life

Whether you’re planning a community build, school fundraiser, or volunteer event, SignUpGenius makes it simple to organize people, share information, and make a lasting impact.