Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Zachary’s Sensory Gym will be a membership-based, nonprofit play area and event space for special needs individuals.
While the nonprofit behind the gym is still securing a building and acquiring all necessary equipment, it is expected to open by the end of 2026.
“With the support of community partners and successful grant funding, our goal is to welcome participants no later than Spring 2027,” Zachary’s Sensory Gym Founder Vickie Lewis said.
| READ MORE: Grandmother working to bring first sensory gym to Jonesboro
Inspired by Lewis’s autistic grandson, Zachary, the gym is a place where children and adults with special needs will be able to “play, learn and grow,” Lewis said.
“We want every participant and their family to feel joy, confidence, and a true sense of belonging. [With] lots of love and support,” she added.
The gym will offer sensory equipment, calming rooms with bubble tubes and soothing music, and a hands-on activity room with textured, sensory toys like slime, sand, and Play-Doh. The gym will also be available for birthday parties, specialty events, and field trips.
The gym is the first of its kind in the area, not designed for medical use or for therapy, but as a safe and inclusive play space for special needs individuals and their families.
“We want isolated families to be able to come together, and for the special needs adults to have the best quality of life and fun that they can,” Lewis said.
As Zachary’s Sensory Gym is a nonprofit organization with volunteers, the board is always looking for donations and sponsors.
| READ MORE: Sensory gym nonprofit status approved, building acquired
“We will always have fundraisers, we will always write grants, and we will need donations and sponsors, so this will always be ongoing. This is a way for the community to come together, as well as surrounding counties.”
Zachary’s Sensory Gym will have its inaugural gala on April 11 at The Guest Room Venue in Jonesboro from 7:30-9:30 in the evening.
The gala will feature appetizers and refreshments, acoustic music, door prizes, and talks from guest speakers who have their own experiences with sensory processing. Tickets are $50 for a single guest and $75 for a couple. RSVP is required, and the event is limited to only 50 guests.
To purchase a ticket, contact Vickie Lewis at 870-530-7871 or chair member Cindy Brown at 870-530-7412. Donations can also be made to ZacharysSensoryGym.com.
For more information about the gym, the gala, how to donate, or how to support, follow Zachary’s Sensory Gym on Facebook.
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