Members of the Morgan City Community Park Partnership and the community dug in their shovels and broke ground for the town's first park on Tuesday.
The park initiative was spearheaded by Morgan City Outreach, a nonprofit citizens group, said Lashan Johnson, group president. The organization was formed to bring about change in the town.
With the help of the Foundation for the Mid South and Supervisor District 5 Larry "Kite" Johnson, a grant was previously obtained to build a center for computers and indoor athletic equipment, such as treadmills and weights, Lashan Johnson said.
The organization also offers tutoring and activities for senior citizens.
Now Morgan City Community Park will be developed on land donated by residents Charles and Carolyn Branch next door to the recreational center. It will be fenced in and will feature a walking track and playground equipment.
The goal is to promote the health of the community and provide a safe place for children to play, she said.
"We are very appreciative of people donating the land," Larry "Kite" Johnson said.
The county supervisors are working to put parks in other towns also, he said. They have obtained land in Schlater and are negotiating for land in Sidon, he said.
"This is a big development for Morgan City," Lashan Johnson said. Larry "Kite" Johnson was "very instrumental in making this a reality," she said.
"This is something that is well-needed. We're trying to continue this kind of activity around here to help the community," said Leflore County Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham.
Citizens need physical activity, Abraham said, and the park partnership is also a way for the community to work together. "The people of Morgan City are doing their fair share," he said.
Exercise is needed everywhere in Mississippi, said Johnny Benamon, administrator for the Department of Health.
Leflore County is one of 10 counties that he covers.
Mississippi ranks the second highest in the nation for poor health, he said. Louisiana is the first.
"We're moving in the right direction," Benamon said. "Walking is the start."
