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OREM — Well-known comedian Brian Regan has donated nearly $10,000 toward an Orem playground designed for children of all ability levels, the city announced Monday.
Regan's donation was funded by a portion of his ticket sales from two shows he performed at the Vivint Smart Home Arena last month, said Steven Downs, assistant to the Orem city manager.
The check for $9,546.50 will go toward a specialized playground swing that carries wheelchairs. It will be installed at the All Together Playground, which is still under construction. Downs said it will be the first park in Utah County designed to help disabled and able-bodied children play alongside each other.
Downs said the city reached out to Regan's management team, knowing he had made similar donations elsewhere using the proceeds of his comedy shows in the past. He said he is grateful for the comedian's generosity.
"(I was told that) Brian likes to look and know what causes he’s supporting before he blindly gives support," Downs said. "We … are just grateful for the support. … This is something that of course he did not have to do. He may never personally see, himself, this playground, but it just speaks to the kind of causes he wants to support."
The swing will be called Presley's Swing, after Presley Gleason, whose mother Mindy first introduced the idea of an all-abilities playground to the city of Orem.
The playground will also include specialized zip lines and monkey bars, among other features.
Contributing: Paul Nelson
