SAN ANTONIO – Gordon Hartman, founder of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation and driving force behind unique Morgan’s Wonderland theme park and other facilities to help those with special needs, has been named recipient of The Governor’s Trophy presented by the Texas Governor’s Committee on People With Disabilities.
“The Governor’s Trophy is the highest honor to an individual for lifetime achievement in support of Texans with disabilities,” said Ron Lucey, Committee executive director. The announcement came in El Paso during the 2019 Lex Frieden Employment Awards, part of the state’s celebration of Disability Employment Awareness Month and named for disability-rights advocate Lex Frieden.
Hartman said The Governor’s Trophy is “a tremendous personal honor for which I’m truly grateful, but it also symbolizes incredible amounts of hard work by the passionate people I’m privileged to work with at Morgan’s Wonderland and The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation. Together, with our many supporters across Texas and around the world, we are indeed making a difference for children and adults with special needs.”
In addition to opening Morgan’s Wonderland in 2010, Hartman unveiled Morgan’s Inspiration Island splash park in 2017. Both non-profit, ultra-accessible™ parks admit individuals with special needs free of charge.
Morgan’s Wonderland, which is completely wheelchair-accessible, features more than 25 attractions including rides, playgrounds, gardens, a catch-and-release fishing lake, 18,000-square-foot special-events center, 575-seat amphitheater, picnic area and rest areas throughout the park.
Colorful Morgan’s Inspiration Island offers six tropically-themed elements – five spacious splash pads and the River Boat Adventure ride – as well as revolutionary waterproof wheelchairs. TIME named it to the magazine’s 2018 list of World’s Greatest Places.
Earlier this year, Hartman announced construction of Morgan’s Wonderland Camp, which will offer a summer-camp-type experience year-round for campers with and without special needs on San Antonio’s northern outskirts, and Morgan’s Wonderland Sports, a 3-acre sports complex that will provide recreation, competition and fitness for differently-abled athletes. Hartman and wife Maggie draw inspiration for their initiatives to help the special-needs community from their 26-year-old daughter, Morgan.
For more information, visit www.MorgansWonderland.com, or call (210) 495-5888. Morgan’s Wonderland is located in Northeast San Antonio a half-mile west of IH 35 at the intersection of Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks Drive.
