Twenty years of fundraising for Emporia’s Eastside Memorial Park have led to some notable enhancements — and the Eastside Community Group may be broadening its efforts down the road.
At the group’s first Memorial Day weekend barbecue in three years due to COVID-19 on Sunday, Group President Al Slappy mentioned tentative plans to connect Eastside Memorial Park to Lakeview Park, which is just east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail spur on the east edge of Eastside Park.
From there, the Eastside Community Group plans to work with Emporia Celebrates the Flint Hills on planting wildflowers near the treeline. The timeline for initial conversations and upcoming work has not been finalized.
Sunday’s barbecue served as a marker for the group, which has been using fish fries and other fundraisers for two decades, including the Emporia Community Foundation Match Day, to move the park away from 1950s-era equipment towards modern features like a new playground, swing set, gazebo and basketball court. A small picnic shelter is among a handful of additions yet to install.
Plans to dedicate the basketball court Friday were delayed to June 20 due to unspecified last-minute cancellations.
7 am Sunday: Emporia Eastside Community Group holding barbecue Sunday
This weekend signals a major milestone for a local park.
The Emporia Eastside Community Group has a barbecue at the park from 1-5 pm. Renovation organizers have been working for close to 20 years to add playground equipment and other features, including a gazebo, obelisk and the latest attraction — a basketball court that was set to be dedicated Friday before a last-minute event cancellation. There are a handful of other items to add, including a small picnic shelter.
Upgrades have been funded by Eastside Community Group activities like fish fries and food booths at different community events as well as the Emporia Community Foundation’s Match Day process.
The dedication has been moved to 11 am June 20.
