A ribbon-cutting ceremony that was held at the Lee District Family Recreation Area in Fairfax County last Saturday officially opened Chessie’s Carousel there. Modeled after the popular Clemyjontri Park carousel in McLean, this new addition to Lee District Park allows riders who use wheelchairs to transfer to a bench and move vertically, rather than riding in a fixed position.
The carousel has a Chesapeake Bay theme with creatures that include a sea horse, sea turtle, hummingbird, frog, deer, whooping crane, swan chair, eagle, coyote, wheelchair chariot and horses. Carousel animals were constructed in fiberglass for ease of lifetime maintenance.
A $10,000 gift to the Fairfax County Park Foundation enables donors to name and adopt a special Chesapeake Bay-themed feature on the carousel including a sea horse, hummingbird, swan chair, eagle, coyote, wheelchair chariot and horses.
