TOMS RIVER – Not to lean too heavily on the sports metaphors, but the Field of Dreams is rounding third and heading for home.
The Field of Dreams will be a 3-acre park on North Bay Avenue, next to the police station and across from Bey Lea Golf Course.
It will be a state-of-the-art, all-inclusive facility with a playground, quiet corner, baseball field, walking path with rehabilitative stations, a temperature-controlled pavilion, complimentary snack shack, and courts for basketball, bocce and shuffle board. There will also be events, and organized leagues for special needs baseball and basketball
Councilman Terrence Turnbach announced that $400,000 is in the proposed state budget for Field of Dreams. He encouraged local legislators to advocate for it so that this funding stays in the budget.
He thanked Gov. Phil Murphy “for hearing us. This is going to be a landmark for our state.”
That figure was estimated by Christian Kane. He’s the driving force behind the project, but he would say he’s “just a dad trying to do this for others.”
In 2012, Kane was in a car accident with his son, Gavin, who was just 19 months old. Gavin suffered a traumatic brain injury that impacted his ability to walk and talk. Because of this, the Kanes learned first-hand that there are minimal facilities for children with disabilities. Often, if a park does have something for kids with special needs, they are apart from the other amenities of the park. The family envisioned a setting where kids of all ability levels can play together.
The $400,000 figure represents what was lost from COVID-19. Fundraisers have tanked during the pandemic. There are fewer expendable dollars to go to charity. Businesses that would normally donate their time and resources had to take paying work instead.
“That’s how life is,” Kane said. “Believe me, I know how life is.”
He was extremely thankful to have the opportunity to plead his case to the governor’s chief of staff.
“It’s just amazing that he heard our story from little old Toms River,” said Christian Kane
Currently, the site is being prepped for construction, he said. The infrastructure and utilities are being installed. Driving on North Bay Avenue, across from the golf course, you can see that the land is cleared. He expects the construction to wrap up in August and the grand opening to be October 2.
Also last month, the Field of Dreams received a $20,800.00 Quality of Life grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which will go toward two zip lines for the inclusive playground.
“We could not be more grateful to receive this generous grant that further proves inclusion matters,” the foundation said.
Tom Kelaher Community Garden
Former Mayor Thomas Kelaher passed away recently. He had been instrumental in shepherding the Field of Dreams and remained an active cheerleader for the project.
“Although Tom will not be able to be there physically, we are deeply comforted in the thought that his spirit will remain there every day. To acknowledge his memory and display our thanks for all he had done for the Field of Dreams, we are creating the Tom Kelaher Community Garden,” the group said.
Donations can be made on the group’s website: tomsriverfieldofdreams.com/product/donation-in-mayor-kelahers-name/
