Kingfisher Trails is commemorating its 20-year anniversary with a fundraising drive to help complete three major areas in the Newfield Community Park.

“It’s been a very busy year this year and we’ve made great progress,” wrote John Gooden in a recent letter to potential donors.

Gooden is the Kingfisher Trails board chairman. Other board members include Brian Walter, Russell Hopkins and Cyndi Ice.

The massive 30-plus-acre downtown park and festival grounds is built on property cleared during the city’s multiphase, FEMA-funded voluntary buyout of flood-impacted homes and businesses.

It’s the most recent focus of Kingfisher Trails’ 20-year effort to enhance Kingfisher’s quality of life, in addition to the network of interconnected nature trails that now encircle the city.

“We started 20 years ago with a vision and a master plan that has been remarkably consistent througout the intervening years,” Gooden said.

“Each year we do what we can with the intent that 50 years from now people will still be enjoying what we’ve created.”

As Gooden pointed out, 2022 has seen major points of progress in the park, which sits in the northwest portion of the city.

As parts of the project get checked off the “to-do list,” the Kingfisher Trails board looks ahead to others.

“Some of what remains in the new park is large in terms of the dollars to be spent in three areas,” Gooden said.

Those areas are the playground, bandshell and arboretum. Equipment, climbing structures and play surfaces are needed for the playground.

The actual bandshell has been completed, but needs components to get it ready for use, including lighting, sound equipment and other prep work.

“It’s our plan to make the bandshell a real asset to both the school and local performers,” Gooden said. “It is to be a venue for weddings, concerts, gospel singing and contemporary worship.”

A “large planting effort” is planned in the fall for the arboretum.

All told, Kingfisher Trails is looking to raise $220,000 for these projects, which will also include signs, a tile mural and 20 tables.

Gooden noted that Kingfisher Trails, which has secured a number of grants for large portions of the park projects, is a non-profit charity.

“Gifts are tax-deductible,” he said.

For more information on the projects and how to donate, see the advertisement on Page 13B of this edition.

“I’d like to thank those currently on the board and all the various people who have helped us over the years,” Gooden said.

“It’s been fun!” he added. “Looking back over the last 20 years, I can’t help feeling blessed and my wish is to be a blessing going forward.”