KENNER, La. (WVUE) – Tucked away in a Kenner neighborhood off West Esplanade Avenue, you’ll find a playground named after ninth grader Anthony Fugarino.

Two years ago, Anthony’s Missing Pieces Playground brought new life to Miguez Park.

“I thought, playground? Yes. But so big? Not really,” Fugarino said.

Anthony’s aunt, Jefferson Parish Council member Arita Bohannan, spearheaded the $600,000 effort.

“Watching him play with other kids and not with other kids, I realized he had a chance to play, too,” Bohannan said. “That’s what started the mission to build the playground here.”

Today, work began at Lafreniere Park on what would be the state’s largest inclusive playground, the $1 million Anthony’s Missing Pieces Playground.

Anthony’s family says doctors diagnosed him with autism at a young age.

“I never thought about a disability,” Fugarino said. “It’s just that I’m different from others.”

Rebecca Connick, an occupational therapist at Ripple Child Development, works with children on the autism spectrum. She says many children with the diagnosis or sensory needs crave and love movement.

Walking through the 8,000-square-foot play set, Connick notices its sensory-rich space. The “quiet cove” attracts his attention.

“They can kind of come in and it’s almost like a little hug, a lonely hug,” Connick said. “It looks like there’s soundproofing here.” This can just be a really good space for a reset.

She notices the shadows cast on the ground when the sun is out.

“All children, but especially many children with autism, really find comfort in predictability and concepts like patterns, math, letters and numbers,” Connick explained.

She says the playground is a clear example of inclusion.

“Having that integrated into a design is really special.” And I’ve found that a lot of the kids I work with want to play, and they want to play with their peers,” Connick said. “Sometimes they just don’t know how to do it. »

Bohannan says the playground isn’t just for autistic people.

“We have 1 in 13 people in Jefferson Parish who have some sort of disability: physical, social, anxiety,” the councilwoman said. “This will open the door to the game for them.”

Bohannan initially raised money for the playing field privately, before serving on the parish council. She now hopes to make Anthony’s Missing Pieces playground the new model for renovation throughout the parish.

“Inclusion gets people moving, removing some of their challenges and barriers,” Bohannan said.

At Lafrenière Park, the ground has already been broken and it should be the largest in the State.

“If you’ve ever had a child who didn’t make the team, you know that feeling when your child isn’t included,” Bohannan said. “This changes that for them.”

The million-dollar playground is expected to open next spring.

“It’s going to be amazing. I think everyone will love it,” Fugarino said.

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