Facts About Legacy Park Recreational Trail
Posted on Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
Finishing Touches: The trail is asphalted in February 2016 for
access to walkers, runners, bikers, skaters, and wheelchairs.
The trail is 10 feet wide and describes a 1/2 mile loop
roughly following the perimters of the hospital complex.
The county's recreational trail at Legacy Park will be dedicated on Friday, March 11. The ribbon cutting is at 8:30 a.m. and will be followed by walking and running events for all ages throughout the day.
Legacy Park is a public health and fitness development north of Mercy Health/Love County Hospital. Access to the trail is at 466 Legacy Park Lane.
The trail entry is bounded by the hospital on the west and the hospital's new Growers Market building on the east.
Some of the county's top runners and walkers will lead participants and spectators on the honorary first lap around the 1/2 mile loop.
They include the state champion girls and boys cross country teams from Marietta High School, distance walker Rob Robertson, and senior marathoner Arthur Rickets.
Marietta Elementary and Middle School boys and girls will then run races on the course. Under the direction of Cross Country Coach Matt Appelman, they will be establishing age-group records for the 1/2 mile distance.
Turner Elementary School boys and girls will take to the trail at noon under the direction of their teachers and coaches.
An open invitation has been extended to students from Thackerville and Greenville to walk or run the trail. Those schools are not in session on March 11.
Adult walkers, runners, and wheelchair users are invited to get on the course throughout the day.
The first 500 visitors will receive Legacy Park Trail souvenirs commemorating open day.
The Love County Senior Volunteer Program will serve water and fruit to all participants in theGrowrs Market building until 3 p.m.
County Commissioner District workers constructed the recreational trail from landscape architectural plans drawn up in January 2013.
Sources of financial support included a $160,000 recreational trail grant from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, coupled with inkind contributuions from each of the Love County Commissioner Districts and from Mercy Health/Love County Hospital.
The trail is 10 feet wide and describes a gently rolling loop that roughly follows the perimeters of the hospital complex. The trail is paved for walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters, and wheelchair users.
Hours for Legacy Park are dawn to dusk. The park's restrooms are located on the north end of the growers market.
The market, a 4,200 square foot building and 2,400 square foot awning for selling fresh fruit and vegetables, was the first Legacy Park installation, last fall. Together the growers market and the trail complete Phase I of Legacy Park.
Possible projects identified for Phase II include one or a combination of exercise stations, disc golf, horseshoes, ropes course, children's playground, or splash pad.
Phase III entails the extension of the recreational trail to Shellenberger Park on the east and Lake Country Nusing center on the west.
As in Phase I, the availability of grants and community support will drive the completion of future projects.
A public fundraising drive to purchase trees and shrubs to beautify and shade the recreational trail is underway. Donations can be made to Legacy Park Fund, P.O. box 375, Marietta, OK 73448. The Love County Senior Volunteer Program is leading the drive.
Collaborators in the Legacy Park project have included Love County Board of Commissioners, Mercy Health/Love County Hospital, Clinic & EMS, Love County Senior Volunteer Program, Love County Community Coalition Health & Fitness Committee, and Love County Master Gardeners.
The Legacy Park Mission Statement is:
- Create opportunities for the people of Love County to engage in regular physical activity and to find and consume healthy foods.
- Help patients of the hospital/clinic prevent or cope with chronicillness by becoming more fit and healthy.
"We call it Legacy Park because it is dedicated to all the people of Love County," said Richard barker, Hospital CEO, who has guided the project administratively.
"These elements of Phase I come out of community health assessments in which the public is asking for access to facilities to be able to exercise and find healthy foods. This is all about improving the community's health."