American Tire Distributors, Inc. (ATD), the Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department and Boundless Playgrounds announce the grand opening of Tread Town, a new inclusive playground at Richard Barry Memorial Park in Huntersville, N.C. The playground, which has been built to allow children with and without disabilities to play together, is the first for Mecklenburg County and the fourth for the state of North Carolina.

“Boundless Playgrounds provide safe, positive places for all children to play, learn and thrive,” said William E. “Bill” Berry, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATD. “We’ve been a part of this region for 75 years and I can’t think of a better way to give back to it than with the opening of Tread Town, the area’s first Boundless Playground.”

Construction of the playground was funded primarily by a $100,000 gift from ATD, which included funds raised during its 2009 annual Charity Golf Classic. The Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department also contributed $25,000 to complete the playground project.

In honor of ATD’s heritage as the nation’s largest independent supplier of tires, Tread Town’s foundation was constructed from recycled rubber including approximately 400 recycled tires, creating a universally accessible surface that allows children and caregivers with and without disabilities to navigate the playground freely and safely. The playground promotes inclusive, unstructured play with ramped wheelchair access to the highest platforms, and features an exclusive Tread Town tire swing, state-of-the art solid harness swings for children who need additional back support, and a multitude of other cutting-edge fitness and educational-based activities.

“Nearly six million children nationwide have a disability that prohibits them from enjoying the full experience of a traditional community playground,” said Fred Leone, Chief Executive Officer of Boundless Playgrounds based in New Haven, CT. “The new Tread Town playground will positively impact children and adults with and without disabilities for years to come.”

ATD hopes to continue its partnership with Boundless Playgrounds and build similar inclusive playgrounds across the country in the coming years.

American Tire Distributors, Inc.
American Tire Distributors, Inc. is the nation’s largest independent supplier of tires to the replacement tire market. The company focuses on helping tire and wheel retail dealers effectively compete in their marketplace by offering the most complete, coast-to-coast selection of tires, wheels and related products and value-added services. American Tire Distributors employs over 2,200 employees across its nationwide distribution center network, including more than 300 people in the Charlotte region at its Huntersville, N.C., field support center, Charlotte distribution center and regional hub in Maiden, N.C.

Boundless Playgrounds
Boundless Playgrounds is the leading nonprofit developer of truly inclusive playgrounds where children of all abilities gain the important developmental and physical benefits of unstructured play. On a Boundless Playground all children can be in the middle of the fun. There are more than 180 Boundless Playgrounds in 31 states and Canada, with dozens more under development. For more information about Boundless Playgrounds, visit www.boundlessplaygrounds.org.