The Friends of Pelham Bay Park, joined by NYC Parks & Recreation, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, several donors and friends to announce the purchase of two new beach wheelchairs to be used on Orchard Beach. Wheelchair-bound beach goers were given a chance to test out the new chairs on the sand.
Thanks to the generous support of key donors and a multitude of supporters, the Friends of Pelham Bay Park and NYC Parks & Recreation have purchased two new beach wheelchairs for the sands of Orchard Beach. The chairs will allow people who have never been able to visit the water’s edge to fully experience the beautiful shoreline of Orchard Beach.
The beach has a mobility mat that enables wheelchair-bound users to access the sand; however, a wheelchair cannot go beyond the mat’s end. A beach wheelchair is made with larger, lightweight wheels, similar to a dune buggy, that gives it the flexibility to travel across the sand to the water.
As a result of donations of Eric Salmeron and Millie Pinot, Joseph Joseph of V.I.M. Stores, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Jim McQuade of Schuyler Hill Funeral Homes, and enthusiastic support, two new beach wheelchairs have been purchased and additional funds set aside for accessibility needs at Pelham Bay Park.
Orchard Beach happens to be the only public beach in the Bronx. It is visited by over 1 million visitors each season. It is part of Pelham Bay Park, which at 2,766 acres is New York City’s largest park.