The idea for a playground came first to Jena and Jim Kelly III.
“We were trying to get through the grief process,” Jim Kelly said recently, reflecting on the upcoming 2-year anniversary of the death of the couple’s son. “You look at different ways to manage things. One thing we learned was that to us, helping others was something that made the best out of a bad situation.”
Beau Kelly of a heart condition while spending a weekend camping in Lancaster County. The 4-year-old boy was playing at a playground when he died, his father said.
Now the Northampton County parents are building a memorial to their son where other children can frolic on monkey bars and slides in a safe environment.
next month with the help of their Upper Mount Bethel Township community to raise money for the play area. The May 3 event will feature games, food, music, evening fireworks and other activities for children and families.
While the festival will be held to remember their son, it is also a major fundraiser toward the estimated $92,000 cost of the playground, Jim Kelly said.
Various sales and donations have raised about $12,000 thus far, Jim Kelly said, including a fundraiser on Gofundme. Besides the township’s financial support, the Kellys are also seeking an additional $30,000 from the John and Margaret Post Foundation.
John Post, who owns Lamtec and Custom Laminating in the township, said foundation members will meet in May and he was confident the money would be approved.
“We get a lot of applications,” he said. “But this is for the town, and it means a lot.”
When they had the idea for the playground, the Kellys spoke to the Rev. Chris Priestaf, senior pastor at Mount Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church. The Upper Mount Bethel congregation where the Kellys attend offers a host of children’s programs, including a preschool, but it has no place for youngsters to enjoy themselves and share time with others outside along the 15-acre rural religious campus on Belvidere Corner Road.
“We already had some plans made for a play area, but it didn’t have equipment,” Priestaf said. “At the end of the day it wasn’t that much fun; it was just a play area.”
The 45-by-80-foot play area the Kellys envision will feature a “little bit of everything,” Jim Kelly said, including slides, monkey bars and a jungle gym. It will also have benches for adults to sit while children play.
Township supervisors Chair John Bermingham said officials, including Supervisor Cori Eckman and township Manager Nick Graziano, have been involved in planning the festival. The township’s park and recreation board donated $1,000 toward the playground and granted the Kellys the use of the Upper Mount Bethel park on Potomac Street for the festival.
“This is our town pulling together to help the Kellys help keep Beau’s memory alive,” Bermingham said.
The Potomac Street park has a play area for children, but it’s just a small part of the larger park, which also has athletic fields, Bermingham said.
“But with Beau’s park,” he said, “you’ve got more of a secluded area for younger kids. You can be right on top of your kids to watch them closely. It’ll be more quiet.”
Jim Kelly said the goal is to have the play area done by year’s end, though that hinges in part on raising enough money at the May 3 festival. He and Jena Kelly, who also have a daughter, Kari, and son, Cooper, are hopeful it can be accomplished, based on empathy and encouragement they have received from others.
“The community supported us when we were at our worst time, and we want to give back,” Jena Kelly said. “That’s our whole basis behind the playground.”
Contact Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone at asalamone@mcall.com.
BEAU’S FESTIVAL
- When: 3-9 p.m. May 3 (rain date May 17)
- Where: Upper Mount Bethel Community Park, 1535 Potomac St.
- Admission: free, but monetary donation of any amount is appreciated
- For more information: Call 610-390-8331, email beausfestival@yahoo.com or go to builditforbeau.wixsite.com/beausfestival
