ALAMOSA — An item funded by the City of Alamosa has brought smiles to a number of people’s faces as a wheelchair swing in Cole Park is set to become a reality. According to Andy Rice, director of Alamosa’s Park and Recreation, $40,000 has been set aside for the wheelchair swing, guaranteeing that it’s a done deal.  

“The City of Alamosa identified getting a wheelchair swing six or seven years ago,” Rice said, “with input from Ruthie [Brown]”  

Brown, who a member of the local community, has been a persistent and vocal advocate for a young man named Peyton Sanchez. A close friend of the Sanchez family, Brown says Peyton has lost the ability to walk, to speak and now to move almost in any way independently due to progressive, debilitating disease. Having a wheelchair swing in Cole Park is of enormous importance to him. 

“It’s been six years,” Brown says without hesitation. “My first email to the city was in 2018. People like me, Peyton and his friends have been wanting to see this happen since then.” 

Brown says that she first approached city council when Peyton had expressed to her his desire to install a wheelchair so that “other kids like him,” can enjoy the park, even when Peyton may not be around to see it happen. 

While the project had been on the books for several years, it did not rise to the top of the capital improvement pile until discussing the 2025 budget, at which time Brown started discussing the project with Rice. 

“I have really enjoyed working with Andy [Rice] and I think he sees the potential. I don’t think there’s a piece of playground equipment for kids with special needs in the whole city and he sees that. 

“For those of us who have set this as a goal, the swing is just the beginning,” she says. “We’re dreaming big. We want an inclusive playground for able bodied kids and kids with mobility issues. For everybody. Maybe even Blue Peaks people, not just kids in the beginning. This is a chance to put the kids together – it helps to build compassion. We’ll continue to raise money wherever we can and we’re willing to make presentations to other groups for donations if anyone is interested. We’d also like to hear from other families with kids who have special needs. What would help them?” 

And now, it’s not just Brown and Rice and the City of Alamosa but a new group has joined the effort.  

Seventeen fifth-graders at Alamosa’s 3-5 school are in a group called the “Mini-Moose Crew” and, according to their teacher, Wendi Wiedeman, they have picked building this playground centered around the wheelchair swing as this year’s project.  

“The purpose of the Mini-Moose Crew is to get kids involved in the community and let them experience and understand the importance of giving back. Last year, we had a project for the Dumb Friend’s League. This year, we discussed this project and, hands down, they want to contribute to Peyton’s Foundation,” Wiedeman said. 

Peyton’s Foundation is the non-profit Peyton formed this year with significant support from his mother, Sheila, Brown and Gordon Bose, a retired judge and attorney in Alamosa. 

As Wiedeman describes it, the Mini-Moose Crew has their sights set on raising as much money as they can by Christmas to present to Peyton and his foundation.  

“We’re considering opening this up to staff in the district and, maybe, to all the parents in the school. The kids just really want to see this project happen for Peyton,” she says. 

“The fact that Ruthie’s been raising money is great. We want input from the adaptive population, like Peyton Sanchez. And now the Mini-Moose Crew is getting involved, too.  These are all parallel efforts,” Rice says. “I think that’s really great.”