‘Cal’s Place’ – a modern and accessible playground – honors the philanthropic family that made the Gengras Center possible.

By Ronni Newton

The unveiling of Cal’s Place, a modern and accessible playground at the Gengras Center – an educational facility on the campus of the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford – was celebrated on Oct. 8 with many of the significant donors as well as other supporters and community members in attendance.

While a driving rain at the time of a planned ribbon-cutting forced the ceremony itself into the gym, the weather improved enough following the formalities so a tour of the playground was possible.

The playground honors the legacy of Father Joseph “Cal” Gengras, a member of the philanthropic family whose support made the establishment of the Gengras Center possible 60 years ago. The facility, established in 1965 and located on eastern side of the USJ campus, provides “state-approved, private education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and related behavioral challenges,” according to USJ.

Skip Gengras, Chip Gengras, and other members of the Gengras family, who have continued the legacy of support, attended the celebration, along with Garrett Flynn representing the John G. Martin Foundation – also a top donor to the playground project.

“We want to formally dedicate this space today,” said Gengras Center Director Michelle Lestrud. Cal’s Place took roughly two years to create, and replaced a previous playground that had been constructed in 2002 and was “worn out” and “dreary,” she said, with surfaces that had become uneven and were no longer fully accessible to all students.

“It’s already bringing immense joy to our students,” Lestrud said. Students have been able to use the playground since the start of the school year. “They’ve been out there every day, all day, and it’s been so much fun to see them running, playing, smiling, and laughing,” she said.

The new playground is “bright, accessible, and fun,” said Lestrud – a place where students can run around freely, swing, and also enjoy the many spinning elements. The playground is a space that encourages “playing together, that helps develop motor skills, and where we’re working on building strength and building that sense of community among our students.”

And, she added, outdoor activity leads to increased focus in the classroom, improved physical and mental health, and helps build lifetime fitness routines.

Lestrud expressed her gratitude to those whose generosity made Cal’s Place possible, including the Gengras family, noting that the legacy of Father Cal, who was devoted to helping people with disabilities, has continued. The John G. Martin Foundation, and Friar Architecture, also had major contributions to making the new playground possible.

“It’s terrific. Words don’t fulfill what the playground is doing,” Skip Gengras said following the ceremony. Father Cal, he said, “was a very special guy” and dedicating to helping those with special needs. “It’s always been one of those things that we collectively wanted to maintain, and make sure that it had what is needed for the kids,” and their parents, he said of the family’s continued support of the Gengras Center.

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