Children's Park celebrates anniversary with mini golf

Tyler—Community members were invited to celebrate the Children's Park of Tyler's 20th anniversary on Sept. 13-14. The park, established in 2004, commemorates children who have passed away.   

Over the weekend, the park was transformed into a mini golf paradise with 18 unique golf holes decorated by sponsors. A Sponsor Tournament was held on Friday. On Saturday, the fun included a vendor market and food trucks. 

"The park was started 20 years ago by our founder, Jennifer Carson, after she lost her son, Braden," Lisa Lujan, a board member for the park, said. 

"We celebrate all children's lives, but we focus on families that have lost children of any age. So you'll see a lot of stones and statues in the park in memory of children who have passed, but there are also many stones families have put in the park that celebrate their kids who are still with them and living today. 

"[The park] is a place of reflection, a place to enjoy your time in nature, and families to come and enjoy their children. 

"We are a non-profit. We count on the donations and support of the community," she said. "And we've been very fortunate that 20 years later, we've grown and continue to grow. That's something you don't want to have to grow or have to build more spaces, but sadly that's the reality. 

"The Children's Park of Tyler is very special to me. My husband and I lost our daughter, Melissa, in 2000. At the time, the park didn't exist, and it was a very difficult time." 

Jennifer Carson had envisioned the park, but it took several people to make it a reality. 

"A bunch of moms came together to purchase the land," Lujan said. "We call them our founding mothers. They contributed to purchasing the land, and we've been raising money ever since to continue growing it." 

Heather Casley and her daughter enjoyed playing mini golf in the park. 

"I was passing by, and we decided to come here and show our support," Casley said. "The putt-putt is a lot of fun."  

Melissa Healy challenged her 5-year-old daughter to a game of mini golf. 

“We came to play mini golf," Healy said. "We like to come to the park and see the statues." 

The mother-daughter duo's favorite golf hole was decorated with candy and cupcakes. Healy enjoyed watching the other families playing in the park  

"[I like] being out here and seeing everybody having fun with all the different kids. This is a great park. It has an awesome purpose. We're happy it's here," she said. 

Nate Bazil and his fiancé took time to enjoy the day. He said his favorite part was the temperature. 

"It's really fun, especially since the Tyler putt-putt closed down," Bazil said.