Tree House of Lititz Foundation

Eleanor gives her new wheels a test drive at the Tree House Playground! Rich Abate and Elyse Goveia welcomed their daughter in 2020 and could only wonder how Eleanor's spina bifida would shape her childhood years. Three and a half years later, Eleanor is keeping up with her friends at preschool, running, jumping, and laughing with joy as she goes.

"We are so grateful for the Tree House of Lititz for being a welcoming space where she could learn, play, and grow. The playground was one of our favorite places to meet up with our Early Intervention physical therapist for our weekly sessions. When Eleanor started to use a walker, she would slowly make her way up to the top of the tree house, smile confidently when she realized how far she had walked, and then giggle with glee as she zoomed back down the ramp. When she started to take her first unassisted steps on her second birthday, the soft surface throughout the park became a space where she could challenge herself to walk further and further. And of course, there was lots of swinging and sliding when she needed a break from all of her hard work!"

Since Eleanor's big day at the Tree House Playground learning to use her walker, thousands of other children of all ages and abilities have discovered this Lititz treasure as well.

Join us to support Eleanor and all of the friends she has made at the Tree House Playground! Here’s how donations help:

• Safety repairs – with hundreds of visitors each month of the year, the Tree House Playground features are put to their test!  Repairs are and will continue to be necessary, especially for uniquely accessible equipment like the Liberty Swing.

• Clean-up and fix-up supplies – basic necessities and more come keep our volunteer crew stocked and ready to serve.

• Maintenance and updates – to keep this favorite community space in shape, throughout the year, maintenance - both anticipated and unexpected – will be critical.  Sealing the soft safety surface was a major need accomplished in 2023 ($40,000) and safety mats were added to the base of each slide ($5,000).

The Tree House of Lititz Foundation is committed to sustaining this new community treasure for years to come!  We are grateful that funds raised through the ExtraGive will have a direct impact on the kids and families we see and hear laughing and playing at the Tree House of Lititz, TOGETHER!