2024-25 A YEAR IN REVIEW
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
10 YEARS OF BRINGING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER THROUGH INCLUSIVE PLAY
3 SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS MAKING RECESS FOR ALL
7 BAY AREA DESTINATION PLAYGROUNDS OPEN FOR PLAY
4 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS FROM NEW ZEALAND TO SINGAPORE
4 PLAYGROUNDS IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
5+ PROJECTS IN EXPLORATION
The Magical Bridge team co-sponsored Redwood City's Bravemaker Film Festival, spearheaded by Tony Gapastione with special guest speaker and documentarian Marlee Matlin
Congratulations to Isabella (Izzy) Grimmer for being named our Kindness Ambassador of the Year. We so appreciate your tireless energy, inclusive leadership, endless creativity, and the kindness you share on the playground and off. Thank you, Izzy!
Magical Bridge welcomes Anne Lyons Johnston back to the team as our full-time Chief Experience Officer to develop inclusive programs, learning tools, and meaningful experiences for all of the communities we serve.
The Musical Bridge™ prototype opened to the public at the Palo Alto Art Center. Designed in collaboration with Dr. Nolan Gasser, Chief Musicologist at Magical Bridge and architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project, David Torgersen, Exhibit Designer from the San Francisco Exploratorium, and Quantiphi, AI pioneers and NVIDIA Elite Partners, Musical Bridge uses real-time motion tracking and generative AI to transform simple gestures into rich, evolving music. No screens. No instructions. Just move, tap, and make beautiful original music!
GRAND OPENINGS Come play at Central Park in Santa Clara and Rengstorff Park in Mountain View
MAGICAL BRIDGE SANTA CLARA
MAGICAL BRIDGE MOUNTAIN VIEW
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE
This past April, Magical Bridge Foundation celebrated its 10th year anniversary with a full day of performances and activities where it all began: Magical Bridge at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. Looking back, we proudly opened Magical Bridge Santa Clara and Mountain View — and our first middle school solution. Anne Johnston, our newest team member, hit the ground running with a summer full of community, fun, and connections — including Community Partner Day, Summer Concert Series, and Magical Tennis and Fun Camp. Be on the lookout soon for Splicer Film’s magical impact documentary!
AUGUST 2024
Magical Bridge and the City of Santa Clara celebrated the Grand Opening of Magical Bridge in Central Park with a full day of performances, speeches, play, and magic.
DECEMBER 2024
Magical Bridge Marin kicks off with Marin County officials joining North Bay project ambassadors for an inspirational VIP tour of Magical Bridge Santa Clara.
OCTOBER 2024
Magical Bridge is named an official programs partner for the City of Palo Alto to develop inclusive Magical Series events on and off the playground.
JANUARY 2025
Hundreds of community members and officials gathered at Rengstorff Park for the Grand Opening of Magical Bridge Mountain View.
NOVEMBER
2024
Magical Bridge hosts the first annual community event, Friendsgiving, to bring people of all ages together. This sold-out celebration returns this year — join us!
FEBRUARY 2025
La Costa Heights Elementary School visits Sacramento to advocate for bringing Magical Bridge and inclusive design to Carlsbad, CA.
Innovating multigenerational playgrounds, parks, and programs for more inclusive communities.
MARCH
2025
The Grand Opening of Magical Bridge Playground and Sports Fields at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School.
JUNE 2025
Splicer Films begins filming an Impact Documentary about Magical Bridge and the vital need for inclusive playgrounds.
APRIL
2025
We celebrated our 10th Anniversary with an all-day event at Mitchell Park. Pictured: Board Member Todd Parmacek and Palo Alto Mayor Ed Lauing.
JULY 2025
Community Partner Days kick off every 1st Sunday in Palo Alto. Kindness Ambassador Izzy launches the Magical Friendship Club, a neurodiverse social club.
MAY
2025
NBC Bay Area features Magical Tennis and Fun, a program led by Los Altos teens Sophia and Ava for neurodiverse players.
AUGUST 2025
Palo Alto Art Center hosts the prototype launch of the Musical Bridge where users play along with compositions by Nolan Gasser and music generated by AI.
77,500
PARTNERS IN MAGIC
IN MAGICAL MEMORY: LELAND LEVY
Leland Levy, September 20, 1934 – June 10, 2025
Please join us in honoring our longtime friend and board member Leland Levy. Le exemplified a life full of purpose, family, generosity ... and song. We are proud to establish the Leland Levy Magical Bridge Endowment to honor his support of our mission to bring communities together through inclusive play.
Magical Bridge extends deep gratitude to THE SCHMIDT FAMILY FOUNDATION, founded in 2006 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, for their generous support of Magical Bridge and for their continued leadership in creating a healthy, resilient and secure world for us all.
INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES
Magical Bridge is proud to support the City of Palo Alto as an official partner hosting inclusive community programs on and off the playground. Our Magical Series events welcome people of all ages and abilities to come together for fun activities, performances, and exhibitions at Magical Bridge Playground in Mitchell Park and across Palo Alto. Don't miss our Community Partner Days on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month from 10 AM to 4 PM. Email anne@magicalbridge.org if you’d like to be a part of it!
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
The Chen Family
“Our family is honored to support Magical Bridge in creating spaces where everyone feels seen and valued. We believe in the importance of inclusive places that bring people of all abilities together. As Fred Rogers said, ‘You've made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the world like you, and I like you
just the way you are.’ We’re proud to support this work and look forward to seeing more inclusive play spaces bring joy to communities.”
Beyond inclusion, let’s build playgrounds where everyone belongs.
HP and Magical Bridge launch the “Enhancing Employment and Inclusivity Through Art” partnership to feature original artwork in the playgrounds and host art activities for all ages and abilities.
DAVE BANG ASSOCIATES
Magical Bridge, in partnership with Dave Bang Associates, can now bring smaller format, budget friendly turnkey Magical Bridge playgrounds to schools, neighborhood parks, and residential communities. Contact us to see our smaller format concepts.
MAGICAL BRIDGE FOUNDATION
Magical Bridge Foundation, a non-profit organization headquartered in Palo Alto, California, creates multigenerational playgrounds, parks, and programs for more inclusive communities.
Drawing from over a decade of research-driven innovation, Magical Bridge redefines inclusivity by uniquely exploring the intersection of universal design and community impact to produce outdoor spaces and programs that transcend both physical and social barriers.
With 11 award-winning playgrounds currently open and many more in development around the world, Magical Bridge proudly champions the vision that all ages and abilities deserve to benefit from the magic of play, community connections, and a sense of belonging. Through collaboration with cities, developers, and landscape architects, Magical Bridge extends the impact of its work to public parks, neighborhoods, schools, residential developments, and zoos and museums worldwide. In addition to a turnkey designbuild model, licensing opportunities ensure the Magical Bridge brand, designs, and programs are catalysts for kinder and more inclusive societies everywhere.
Magical Bridge invites you to join the movement toward a brighter future where all public spaces and programs reflect the diversity and unity of the people they serve — a world where inclusion means everyone.
THE TEAM
Olenka Villarreal
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
MAGICAL BRIDGE FOUNDATION
959A Addison Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
magicalbridge.org
650-538-2850
Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID: #81-2377796
Watch the latest
Magical Bridge Foundation Overview Video
Elaine Captain Chief Operations Officer
Kris Loew Chief Marketing Officer
Anne Johnston Chief Experience Officer
Harriet Stern Curator of Community Kindness
Cynthia Keene
Community Engagement Manager
Mimi Richart
Finance and Accounting Manager
Olenka and project ambassadors from Daly City, CA garner community input on the playground coming to Hillside Park.