All-inclusive playground project in Perryville receives $50,000

Plans have changed for the $1 million all-inclusive playground to be constructed in Perryville, Missouri’s Robert J. Miget Memorial Park. But the now two-phase endeavor is coming along due to a recently acquired $50,000 from Perry County’s local park sales tax fund.

The playground — now featuring a two-level design — was spearheaded in February 2017 by then-10-year-old Perryville native Lucas Fritsche. Lucas’ mother and event organizer Jennifer Fritsche said while Lucas was at school, he noticed a classmate in a wheelchair who chose to stay inside during recess. That got Lucas thinking.

She said Lucas took it upon himself to begin pressuring “all kinds of people” at his school that it wasn’t fair his friend couldn’t play outside “like they did.” He also made contact with Perry County Mayor Ken Baer.

The Perry County Commission approved the $50,000 for Phase 1 and will be available when needed, Fritsche said. The budget for phase 1 — including immovable equipment, such as a tree-house structure — is $490,000, Fritsche said. “We are approximately $170,000 from that goal.”

“At our last committee meeting, we had $320,000 in cash,” she said of the not-for-profit sanctioned fund. “It’s ready for when we order the equipment.”

Phase 2 will include all movable equipment, including a zip line

and swings.

A conceptual design for the future all-inclusive playground to be constructed in Robert J. Miget Memorial Park at 110 S. French Lane in Perryville, Missouri.Submitted

“We split it up so we can get a little bit more done,” she said. “Our goal now is ‘see it to believe it.’”

Fritsche said Phase 1 hopefully will be completed by summer of 2020. More fundraisers are in store to fund Phase 2 and sponsors will need to be contacted, she said.

“We still have a lot of companies and businesses that are interested; we still have a lot of capabilities out there,” she said. “We definitely wanted to get something built first.”

Fritsche said she sees the project being completed by 2020.