Mayor, All Abilities Park Foundation VP urge donations to finish Farmington’s Boundless Journey Adventure Park

The mayor of Farmington and Marilyn Montoya, vice president of the All Abilities Park Foundation, urged residents and national donors to support the Boundless Journey Adventure Park, an eight-acre adaptive playground being built on the former Tibbitz Middle School site at Apache and Dustin.

The project — also referred to as the Boundless Journey Adventure Park or All Abilities Park — is a public-private partnership that organizers say will be accessible to people of all ages and abilities. “It’s going to change the lives of so many people in this area,” the mayor said, asking listeners to consider donations large and small. Montoya recounted a formative moment that helped launch the effort: while volunteering at a special-education preschool she learned that a child “has never been on a swing,” an exchange Montoya said pushed volunteers to pursue an inclusive playground.

Why it matters: backers say the park will serve families across the Four Corners region, provide therapeutic and recreational benefits for children and adults with disabilities, and draw visitors who will use local hotels and businesses. Montoya framed the park as both a quality-of-life improvement and an economic draw: she said people from nearby cities and neighboring states will visit once the facility is complete.

Project status and budget: speakers said phase one is nearing completion and included renovation of the old library building at the site, but they did not announce an opening date. The organizers described a total project funding picture of about $9.4 million so far: $2.2 million raised by the foundation; $861,000 contributed by the city; $1.1 million from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds; about $5.2 million in other federal and state grants; and a $35,000 contribution from the Connie Gosh Foundation. Montoya also said an anonymous donor contributed about $1 million. For phase two — which organizers describe as larger and more feature-rich — they estimate approximately $5 million remains to be raised.

How organizers are fundraising: Montoya described a mix of grassroots and institutional fundraising tactics. The foundation has run a 2K “fun run, walk and roll” (in-person and now virtual) to allow national participation, solicits small donations via in-store donation boxes, coordinates local art auctions (partnering with Artifacts), pursues grants aggressively, and is engaging tribal partners, noting outreach to the Navajo Nation through NTEC and a tribal delegate. “We will leave no stone unturned,” Montoya said.

Gifts and pledges: Montoya said the foundation has made a $2.5 million donation to the effort, pledged $750,000 for a near-term area and is aiming to raise an additional $3 million to meet immediate goals. The mayor emphasized that the city has not raised taxes to fund the park, and credited city staff with pursuing grants and keeping projects “shovel-ready” to qualify for funding opportunities.

Design and access: speakers described climbing elements and other features intended to challenge users safely and build confidence, and confirmed the existing track will be retained and reworked to improve wheelchair and stroller access. Montoya and the mayor said the park is designed to serve children and adults with disabilities as well as retirees seeking rehabilitative amenities.

Next steps: organizers urged listeners to visit the All Abilities Park Foundation website for details and ways to donate. Montoya and the mayor thanked volunteers, donors and city staff and said fundraising will continue until phase two is fully funded. No formal votes or municipal actions were announced during the interview.