Legacy Park on KNOE Channel 8

Legacy Park was featured on KNOE Channel 8. Click here to see the video segment.

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Story by: Jordyn Taylor

MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Legacy Park board members are eager to build a playground that they hope will bring joy to every child's face, and especially children with special needs.

"These children need an opportunity to do be able to do the things that the other children do that they really can't do in a normal park," said board member Jacob Wood.

A jungle gym apparatus will cover twenty-five thousand feet of land inside Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston - more than enough room to create boundless fun.

"Even the upper parts are going to wheel chair accessible," said Wood. "And then there are parts of the park that are going to help children with issues of sensory integration."

Building Legacy Park will cost an estimated $350,000. To raise money for the project, board members are putting together a special play day this Saturday. It will include a fishing tournament, pony rides, jumpers and a 5k race. And the event isn't just limited to children with special needs.

Jacob Wood said Legacy Park should be a bridge between people with disabilities, and those and without. "Even kids who have no particular special needs are going to look at it and go, 'wow, this thing is great!' and so they'll be able to get on it and do all the things with the other kids and they'll be interaction there just because of the structure."

The playground is in honor of two-year-old Bailey Jack Beck. His mom came up with plans for the park because she wanted siblings of special needs kids to be able to play with their brothers and sisters.