HERCULANEUM, Mo. — The National Weather Service confirms at least eight tornadoes in the region this past weekend. One of those storms damaged a special spot in Herculaneum in Jefferson County known as Kade's Playground.
The playground is special because it was a collaborative effort between the city and one family who wanted an accessible playground for their young son Kade. He used a wheelchair and had several medical conditions. So, Kade's family and the City of Herculaneum collaborated to build Kade's playground, a space where accessibility is at the forefront along with adventure.
The pavilion at Kade's playground was completely knocked over during the weekend storms. Now, the community is desperate to rebuild what was damaged.
"It's been a labor of love," City Administrator Jim Kasten said.
He said this is how Kade's playground was born.
"At least in my time here as city administrator, which is going on 15 years, it's probably the best thing we have done in this city," he said.
He said the labor started with donations, and the love with Kade's family. Although Kade couldn't be there to see what was built in honor of him when it was completed, his story still lives on.
"In the end, we ended up naming it after their son, who passed away right before we got it open," Kasten said.
Kids like John Easter know it too. He and his mom Andrea visit the playground "all the time."
"Yeah, we love it, we just came here last week," Andrea said. "I noticed the pavilion had collapsed ... we were very surprised ... we had our lunches packed so we could sit underneath it."
Their lunch plans took a turn Monday when they saw what the tornado trampled.
"We were a little sad today we couldn't do that and sad for the crews that have to clean up in the future," she said.
But Kade's Playground can be fixed the same way it was built: through labor and love.
"In order to keep that going we're going to have to reopen the pavilion and keep it up and running," Kasten said.
You can visit Kade's Playground's Facebook page for updates, and to contact the city if you'd like to help.
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