TOMS RIVER – It’s a bittersweet story that resonates with everyone.
A tragic car crash led to a lot of challenges for Gavin Kane, who was just 19 months old. For years, his parents, Christian and Mary, worked to open the Field of Dreams to help kids with disabilities. They wanted Gavin to play and explore the world with others.
Their inclusive park idea blossomed and they weren’t alone in this – many groups joined in to fund the RWJBarnabas Health Field of Dreams.
As the long journey became a reality, many news organization (this one included) chronicled their journey. Two of these news items have been nominated for the 66th annual New York Emmys.
In the category “Societal Concerns – Short Form Content,” the nomination was for WABC-TV’s “Field of Dreams is Heaven on Earth for Special Needs Families.”
In the category “Sports Story – News (No Production Time Limit),” the nomination was for “Field of Dreams” by PBS/News 12.
Both of these stories aired in 2022.
Christian Kane told The Toms River Times before the park opened “We are trying to educate people to understand what life is like when you have a special need. It can happen to anybody in a split second.”
“We are so thankful to the teams at ABC and PBS for sharing our story, and a major congratulations to those behind the scenes of each documentary,” said RWJBarnabas Health Field of Dreams Assistant Program Director Brielle Mowad in a message announcing that the two pieces were nominated for Emmys.
The New York Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoring those in television and advanced media in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas. The division was founded in 1955.
The ABC doc can be viewed here, and the PBS production can be viewed here.
