Local residents searching for a meaningful gift for a loved onecan find one that is lasting and will help a community project.

“It’s a great Christmas idea for grandparents and parents topurchase as a stocking stuffer,” Dwana Wright commented about theKids Kingdom Playground bricks.

The bricks, which will be placed along the entrance sidewalk atthe community park, can be purchased at any of the local banks for$50 each in memory of a loved one or in honor of someonespecial.

“It’s such a minimal cost to honor someone and help acommunity-wide project,” said Wright, who has been organizing thetax-deductible brick donation effort.

The bricks can hold up to 12 characters, including blank spaces,on each of the two engraved lines. Wright invites residents to becreative, if they would like, and purchase bricks with theirchildren’s names and birthdays or other information.

“A guy could even ask his girlfriend to marry him by buying abrick and taking her to the park when it opens,” she added.

The park, which will be located on 10 acres of donated propertyoff Industrial Park Road, is scheduled to be built during afive-day construction period in April, with the help of at least1,000 volunteers.

“I want to encourage people to get involved in some area ofbuilding Kids Kingdom,” Wright said. “We, as a community, are goingto have to pull together to make Kids Kingdom successful.”

Wright believes the park will provide a wonderful asset to theLincoln County area, and thinks the bricks will add to the meaningof the park, as well as entertaining the children.

“It’s going to be really great for the children to go to theplayground and find their brick,” she said.

Since the brick drive started several weeks ago, 50-60 brickshave already been purchased, but committee members have no limit onthe number of bricks that can be used to create sidewalks.

Bricks will not be sold after Feb. 15, 2002, unless theplayground is expanded in the future.

Another way loved ones can be honored at the Kids KingdomPlayground is by having names placed on a large sign at theentrance way for $1,000; $2,500 or $5,000 donations.

Linda Kergosien’s Quest Class has volunteered to send outacknowledgements, if requested, for donations given in memory orhonor of someone.