When Drew Kingseed was younger, he didn't get a chance to play in parks like most kids. So as a teenager, he decided to do something about it.

Born with cerebral palsy, Drew watched from his wheelchair as other kids enjoyed playing outdoors in the parks that dot Kokomo -- parks that don't accommodate kids with physical challenges. Years later, Drew set out to make part of Kokomo's 83-acre Highland Park accessible to all.

"I feel it's really important for all kids to be able to have a chance," said Drew, a sophomore at Kokomo High School. "No matter if they have physical challenges or not, everyone is a normal kid."

United Way originally presented the idea for an accessible park to Kokomo-Center Schools, and Drew's student council adviser asked him if he wanted to help. Although he was nervous about the time and work involved, he agreed.

"Looking back on the days where kids would go to a park and I would go there and just sit, that's what really made me think about it," he said.

The first step was designing the park, which takes up a 60-by-60-foot section of Highland Park. Drew created the general concepts while a professional contractor created blueprints for final approval by the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department. Drew was consulted at each step to make sure it met the needs of disabled children ages 6 to 12, although it is open to all ages.

"I designed this park for this particular age group because I feel it's really important for younger kids to have this experience," Drew said. "When I was younger, I didn't get a chance to play in a park like you guys did, and I felt kind of left out. I didn't really get to have as much fun as the other kids did."

This park doesn't have typical swings and monkey bars. The swings are metal platforms attached to chains; a child rolls his or her wheelchair onto a platform, where it is then secured.

The monkey bars are built so individuals in wheelchairs can propel themselves through the bars to build upper-body strength. The park also has a digger, which allows children in wheelchairs to dig for rocks without having to bend over.

But specially designed equipment costs money -- $7,000, to be exact -- and that was Drew's next challenge. For several months, he went to civic, church and school groups and appeared on radio talk shows to raise community awareness of the park. He also led the campaign in Kokomo schools, selling address books and collecting donations.

"I had my student council members help me collect donations this year at football games, and sometimes I went around to the classrooms to help collect the money," he said. "We had Coke sales at lunch, and we had an ice cream-eating contest to raise some of the money."

All four middle schools raised money, and Darrough Chapel Elementary School had a kickball game between the students and teachers as a fund-raising event. Also, the Community Foundation of Howard County, Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department, Howard County Probation Office, Bona Vista Programs, Kokomo-Center Schools and the United Way-Volunteer Action Committee contributed to the park.

While Drew was happy with the community's response, he did face some disappointments.

"A couple of times I felt like giving up, because I felt this park really wouldn't be a success because of the delay in getting the equipment," he said.

The July floods prevented the installation of some equipment. But the park is still usable, and Drew predicts it all will be finished by spring.

His persistence kept things on track. "Just thinking about the kids and how honored they would be to have a park . . . that's what kept me going."

Drew's final task was helping with the layout. "I had to be down there for some of the construction, and I had to tell them where I thought it would be best to put the equipment. . . . I also had to help decide what contraptions to put on it to keep the kids in the equipment," he said.

The park was dedicated Oct. 26, . 2002. Many kids call it "Drew's Park."

"I feel very honored that basically the whole community has stood behind me," he said.

REPORTERS : Rebecca Salois, 12; Adelynne Stevenson, 11; Riley Walker, 12.