Toms River school leaders tour almost-finished Field of Dreams park
TOMS RIVER -- The best sound that Christian Kane heard on a recent morning was the laughter of children playing.
Kids with special needs from Toms River High School East flocked to the newly-completed playground area at the Field of Dreams, a park for people with disabilities that is nearing completion on North Bay Avenue. As the kids played, supervised by teachers and staff, Kane gave a tour of the facility to administrators from Toms River Regional schools, including Interim Superintendent Stephen Genco.
"Listen to that," Kane said as the group stopped near the playground, where the sounds of children excitedly chatting and laughing could be heard. "That sounds so good."
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Kane showed off walking paths, a basketball court, a baseball field, a 9-hole miniature golf course, a snack shack, a restroom area and a large pavilion. There's also a "quiet corner," for people with autism, and several community gardens, in addition to the playground.
The Field of Dreams is scheduled for a grand opening at noon on April 30. It will be the culmination of years of work by Kane and his wife Mary.
How we got here
Christian Kane, a High School North math teacher, was inspired to create the park after his now 11-year-old son, Gavin, suffered a severe brain injury as a result of a car accident. Gavin, then 19 months old, was in a car seat in the backseat of Kane's car when the vehicle was rear-ended by a fully loaded beer truck.
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Kane and his wife soon found that there was no playground near Toms River where Gavin, who moves around with the help of a specially designed wheelchair, could enjoy recreational experiences like other kids, whether it be playing baseball, sliding down a playground slide, or enjoying a round of miniature golf.
Christian and Mary Kane decided to change that. Watch him talk about the Field of Dreams nearing completion in the video above.
Toms River donated a 3.4-acre parcel of land for the park, and Kane has raised most of the $3.6 million needed to build it. He said that it will cost about $200,000 more to complete the park, which already has a full slate of activities on tap from mid-May to early December. More than 130 organizations have donated at least $10,000 toward the project.
The state also contributed $400,000 in last year's budget to help complete the park. Kane said the increased cost of materials has made the final cost of Field of Dreams soar past the initial $2.5 million estimate.
Children from the Challenger League of Little League baseball will play games at the field; Kane said Toms River East Little League, South Wall Little League and Freehold Little League Challenger teams will also use the field.
The pavilion area, which includes chargers for electric wheelchairs, will be available for events like craft or music festivals. Produce will be raised in the community gardens at the site.
Kane told school officials he hopes the park can be used by different groups throughout the school day.
"I am so excited for the kids and community," said Assistant Superintendent Cara DiMeo. "Combined with our efforts, I think it's absolutely outstanding."
Kane said he hopes the Field of Dreams opening will inspire other parents to create similar places for children and adults with disabilities to relax and play.
"If a high school math teacher can do this, anyone can do this in their town or their state," he said.
Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 37 years. A finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in public service, she's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River Field of Dreams lets people with disabilities place to play
