The name Tamara Schwarz and Trinity Community Park has quickly become synonymous with inclusive play and fun for all.

Schwarz, a resident of Monument and one of the directors of Trinity Lutheran Church, spearheaded the Trinity Community Park project two years ago. The project was to tear down outdated playground equipment on the church’s land and replace it with an updated set.

However, the project quickly grew into Schwarz’s idea of creating the first all-persons, all-disabilities inclusive community park in Monument which is 100-percent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. With a large team of volunteers, fundraisers and organizers, Schwarz’s idea became the Trinity Community Park.

With her involvement in making the park a reality, Schwarz was recently recognized with the KOAA News 5 Jefferson Award for community service. Serving as the executive director of Trinity Community Park, which is a 501(3)© nonprofit organization, Schwarz received the award on March 11 while being interviewed by News 5’s Dianne Derby.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the development are completed, while Phase 3 is expected to be done this summer. In approximately 2.5 years, Schwarz and the large team behind her have raised approximately $400,000 which has gone to the purchase and installation of the most state-of-the-art and largest ADA compliant playground in a 40-mile radius, complete with equipment thoroughly researched to allow those with special needs be able to use and enjoy as well.

The Jefferson Award is part of a national program which honors those who go above and beyond in service to their community. With the recognition, Schwarz will be considered among others for national honors.

Until she was contacted by Derby, Schwarz didn’t know what the Jefferson Award even was. She researched the award and learned she was nominated by project volunteer Susan Ross.

“At no point in this was I looking for any recognition,” Schwarz said. “Reading what she wrote to nominate me was just very heartwarming and humbling. It was just very kind.”

While the Trinity Lutheran Church has donated the land to the community park project, Schwarz hasn’t even used the park’s attention as a tool for increasing membership for the church. She has kept the goal to have a place for all ages and all physical abilities to come together and enjoy, she said.

Thirty years ago, Trinity’s neighbors were cows and the only children using the church playground were kids who went to the church, Schwarz said. With the landscape of the church having changed and nestled among five housing developments, the number of children and where they were coming from had changed dramatically, which sparked the initial update to the park equipment.

After speaking with friends who had children with special needs and realizing how no place in Monument offered a playground for them to play as a family inspired the next legs of the park project.

“I literally took for granted there’s this whole underserved community that has nowhere to go as a family,” Schwarz said. “That to me was shocking. That’s how I got involved in this whole effort. It wasn’t for any recognition for me. It just really touched my heart that the greater community and certainly in Monument, Northern El Paso County, we didn’t have anything like this yet.”

Phase 3 of the Trinity Community Park involves a permanent pavilion with five picnic tables and four benches around the park, as well as some trail improvements and signage. In addition, the pavilion will be retrofitted with electricity for community events like birthday parties and small concerts.

Despite her preference to have the entire Trinity Community Park team recognized for its efforts over herself individually, Schwarz said the recognition is helpful for bringing attention to the project as the team still seeks in-kind and monetary donations for future phases to finish the facility.

“This is your neighborhood park,” she said. “Your eyes and ears on this are huge for me.”

The 100-percent privately funded project is presently seeking in-kind donations from an electrician, gravel and hauling companies as well as financial donations to complete its final phases. Persons or companies interested in donating can reach out to the project through its website at https://trinitymonument.org/trinity-community-park. Financial donations can be offered by clicking on “Give.”

“The biggest thing, it just promotes that quality of life for everybody,” Schwarz said.