A special playground honoring a young boy in the west metro is now open.

Eli Hart was 6 years old when he was shot and killed by his mother in 2022. Now, family and friends of Eli and volunteers are proud to introduce the Eli Hart Memorial Playground, located in Mound’s Surfside Park.

Kids of all ages wasted no time Thursday doing what Eli loved most: going to the playground to play.

“Seeing kids play on it is pretty amazing,” said Tiffany Beitler, one of the co-founders of the Eli Hart Memorial Playground Foundation.

This marks the completion of an idea that blossomed into a two-year project prompted by the devastating loss of the 6-year-old boy.

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“To be able to see such an amazing tribute and monumental structure be built in honor of Eli’s memory is so heartwarming, and on the back side of that, the reason we had to do this — because of such a tragedy — does bring sadness to you,” said Josie Josephson, Eli’s stepmother. “He always had a smile on his face.”

“We just felt that someone had to do something,” Beitler said.

Beitler didn’t know Eli or his family, but like the countless others who stepped up to raise money, she knew it was the perfect way to honor him.

“We’re humbled by how many people have come forward and helped,” Beitler said.

Josephson says Eli had a genetic disorder, and that’s why they have features at the playground like a merry-go-round for people in wheelchairs and a cocoon for people who struggle with overstimulation.

“There are a lot of kids with disabilities who don’t always have access to the playground or things like that, and we wanted to make sure that this was accessible to everyone,” Josephson said.

The foundation says its work is far from over as they will continue to bring positive change to the foster system.

In the meantime, this playground is a place for families to make lasting memories.

“All we really want is for kids to be able to be kids and to be happy,” Josephson said.

The official ribbon cutting for the playground is set for July 20 during the Spirit of the Lakes parade.