Winter 2023

Tatum’s Garden Celebrates 10 Years of Accessibility for Children B Y B R E T T WI L BUR T en years ago, Salinas residents Amanda and Shawn Bakker made a stop in a small town in Idaho during a road trip with their three young children, Olivia, Wyatt and Tatum. To their surprise, they discovered an inclusive playground, with ramps, special equipment, and a rubberized ground surface, allowing children with different needs to play alongside each other. 8EXYQ [LS LEW WTMRE FM½HE KSX XS IRNS] TPE] - ground equipment that had been nearly impossi- ble to access via her wheelchair in the past. “I said to Shawn, ‘We should do something like this at home,’” Amanda recalls. Through conversations with friends, family, GMX] SJ½GMEPW ERH IZIRXYEPP] XLI QE]SV SJ 7EPMREW Amanda says they were led to develop a 4-acre piece of asphalt in Sherwood Park in Salinas. “We broke ground in 2013 through an incredible process with generous donations, borrowed tools and volunteers supervised by experienced carpenters,” she says. Now, Tatum’s Garden has become a destina- XMSR [LIVI GLMPHVIR IRNS] E FVSGGSPM XVIILSYWI that is ramped all the way up to the third story, a cozy cocoon, adaptive swings, and much more. Currently the Bakkers, who own Bakker Construction, are fundraising through their foun- dation to bring a second playground, Tatum’s Treehouse, to Carmel Valley Community Park. “We want to reinspire the vision for safe and accessible opportunities to a new generation of parents,” Amanda says. For more information, visit www.tatumsgarden.org and www.tatumstreehouse.com . SHORT CUTS GIVING BACK The Bakker Family—(from left to right) Olivia, Shawn, Amanda, Tatum, Joanne, Wyatt and Steve—are expanding accessibility, bringing a new playground to Carmel Valley. 84 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 Photo: Gabe Rodriguez