Steve Halter grew up playing basketball at Bacon Park, taught his own children how to ride their bikes there and today sees the joy the all-inclusive playground equipment brings to the region.
Halter and other members of the Kiwanis Club of Poplar Bluff want to add 3,500 square feet of equipment to Bacon Park but need help to do so after a federal grant for the project fell through.
The club now needs to raise another $50,000 to see Phase 2 of their improvement project become a reality. Residents have already contributed approximately $110,000 to this effort, according to the group.
“People need to be able to get their kids out and have something to do that doesn’t cost them any money,” Halter said, president of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. “But it takes a lot of upkeep. We’ve got a great partnership with the (Poplar Bluff) school district and (Poplar Bluff) park department, but Kiwanis owns this park. All the funding that goes in here is funding that we raise.
“It draws a lot of people because it is such a nice park and because it is an inclusive setup.”
Kiwanis has been focused since 2013 on creating an inclusive playground in Poplar Bluff that would serve children of all abilities and needs.
“Our continued dedication to Bacon Park is a natural fit in line with our global mission at Kiwanis, which is to improve the lives of all children, one community at a time,” said Joey Jones, Kiwanis president-elect, of Kissinger and Kirkman Investment Centre. “To that point, we recognize that the children of each community have different needs, and Kiwanis empowers its members to pursue creative ways to serve these local needs, such as providing safe areas for our children to play and make memories.”
Many people don’t realize the Poplar Bluff Kiwanis group is the primary steward of Bacon Park, Jones said. The land was donated by the late Carrie Bacon-Turner, in honor of her son, Fay Bacon, who was a charter member of the Kiwanis group.
“Our ambition and commitment to this park are fueled by a reservoir of unending love for the children you’ll see running through this grass on any given day,” Jones said.
The proposal for the all-inclusive equipment upgrades was originally brought forward in 2013 by member Subrina Berger.
“Believing in this vision, Kiwanis started fundraising to add accessible playground equipment,” according to information provided by the club. “The Club added a trail run and a haunted house to our regular line-up of annual fundraisers to supplement our budget.”
The project was initially projected to cost $100,000, but rising equipment costs raised that amount to $150,000 by 2017.
The decision was made to split the project into two phases, with $80,000 of inclusive equipment being installed immediately.
It became the only inclusive playground within 50 miles, the group said.
With increased costs, COVID and other factors, the total to finish Phase 2 had risen to $160,000 in recent years.
Kiwanis had raised $110,000 toward the Phase 2 project when they were awarded a $50,000 federal grant in 2023 that they believed would allow them to finish the project.
“However, the Club has recently received word that the grant will not be awarded, leaving us short ($50,000) of the funds needed to finish the project,” the group shared in a release. “Kiwanis remains dedicated to finishing the last part of our inclusive playground at Kiwanis Bacon Park and we’re asking for your help to make this project happen for the kids in our community. Please help us finish the playground.”
Every dollar counts, club members say, and donations can be tax-deductible when made to the 501-C3 nonprofit by mailing a check to Kiwanis Club, P.B. PO Box 1103 Poplar Bluff, Mo. 63901. All of the funds contributed goes directly to the playground equipment, they shared. There is also a Venmo QR code on the sign at the park which can be scanned and opens a donation link.
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