Eureka Rotarians back Play Street’s inclusive play and learning space

The Rotary Club of Eureka has given Play Street a $1,700 grant through its Small Grants Program, a modest but timely boost for a new Eureka center meant to give local families a more inclusive place to play and learn. The money will help buy equipment for Play Street’s Multi-Sensory Play and Education Center, which is scheduled to open in Eureka in July 2026.

Play Street describes the project as an indoor and outdoor multi-sensory play and education center for children, designed by mothers of children with disabilities and specific sensory needs. Its planned spaces include a Multi-Sensory Environmental play area, a Multi-Sensory Art Space and a Multi-Sensory Garden. Shannon Townsend-Bettis, Play Street’s president and executive director, said, “Our hope is that this space becomes a model for inclusive play and education in our region,” and added, “We want every family to feel welcome, supported and empowered.”

The organization says multi-sensory environments can be therapeutic and calming for children with disabilities, autism and other sensory disorders, especially when children have autonomy and control over their social experience. Candid’s GuideStar profile says Play Street was formed to provide mentorship, education and financial support to families with children who have special needs, which puts the center in the middle of a broader effort to fill gaps that many families in Humboldt County still encounter when looking for sensory-aware, family-centered spaces.

Play Street’s calendar lists an opening date of June 26, 2026, and a Disability Pride event for July 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Adorni Center in Eureka. The group also says a free multi-sensory play group with First 5 Humboldt will begin in July 2026 for children ages 0 to 5, meeting Mondays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Those early programs suggest the center is being built not just as a room to visit, but as a regular resource for caregivers looking for structured, welcoming activities.

The Rotary Club of Eureka’s support also fits a larger pattern of civic involvement in the city. The club documented a peace-pole dedication at Jefferson Community Center and Park on Jan. 5, 2026, with eight languages on the pole. In Play Street, that same kind of local service is now helping underwrite a space that could shape how Eureka families with different abilities find community, support and play.