The Patricia Browning Stone Sensory Playground at Ascension St. Vincent in Evansville, Indiana, was recognized at the 2019 Ascension Council on Philanthropy annual conference.
The conference culminates with the Sister Mary Water Boyle Excellence in Philanthropy Award presentation, and the sensory playground achieved honorable mention.
“All nominations submitted this year were very deserving of recognition, and it affirms that meaningful, Mission-focused philanthropy is alive and well within our health ministries,” said Susan Sellers, President, St. Vincent’s Foundation in Ascension Alabama. “We want to recognize this wonderful facility that addresses our core Values of Service of the Poor and Creativity.”
The playground is the first of its kind in the nation and features a dedicated indoor/outdoor environment for therapeutic play. The sensory playground provides a healing environment for children who struggle with a variety of sensory processing disorders.
Bill and Mary (O’Daniel) Stone, natives of Evansville, had a vision of creating this special therapeutic space. Thanks to their $2.4 million gift, the playground was named in honor of Bill’s mother, Patricia Browning Stone, who was a graduate of St. Mary’s School of Nursing. Bill and Mary Stone were the sole donors to this project.
Photo: Bill and Mary O’Daniel Stone flank Debbie Hinton, St. Vincent Evansville Foundation Director.
