Community mourns loss of Kids' Kingdom

ALAMOGORDO — Still reeling from the news of Friday's fire, those who helped build Kids' Kingdom are remembering the project that brought the community together.

"I'm still in a state of shock," said Maria Probasco, original co-executive organizer of Kids' Kingdom. "How could anybody contemplate destroying something the whole community worked so hard together on. We were so proud of it and so many children have enjoyed it through the years."

Kids Kingdom destroyed in fire

While the nature of the fire at Kids' Kingdom is still unknown, many residents suspect arson because of how fast the structure burned. On Friday, Alamogordo Fire Department officials said they're continuing their investigation into the cause of the fire.

Kids' Kingdom, a wooden playground nestled between Washington and Oregon Avenues, was the labor of the entire community banding together in November 1995.

According to an Albuquerque Journal article published Nov. 19, 1995, Kids' Kingdom was the brainchild of co-organizer John Douglass. Douglass, who was a retired associate professor of math and chemistry at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo, was given the idea from his sister during Christmas of 1992.

"I knew if I took the job on, it would take two years out of my life," Douglass told the Albuquerque Journal. "I tried to ignore it, but it nagged at me. Then I just decided that this community gave me so much, I had to give back to the community."

Kids' Kingdom took two years of planning, fundraising and organizing. Residents raised $120,000 to build Kid's Kingdom. Kids' Kingdom was designed by architect Bob Leathers, who helped built more than 1,000 playscapes around the world.

"That was the only project I can remember, since living here from 1957, where the entire community pitched in and worked together," said Michael Shyne. "Everybody from every walk of life, from every club, every organization, came together. Alamogordo was full of petty little grievances from one group to another and all of that was set aside for that project."

Shyne was one of the first big donors of the fundraising efforts for Kids' Kingdom.

"I donated a piece of land as a prize and it was raffled off at an event," Shyne remembered. "I think everybody who donated money towards it, their names were put in a pot and they were eligible to win certain prizes in a raffle and my piece of land was one of them."

Construction began on Nov. 1, 1995 and was completed within two weeks time.

"It may sound silly but my favorite memory of Kids' Kingdom was not of the kids playing on it over the 20 years but the week that we constructed it," said Tom French, one of the owners of the French Brothers Homes. "It was such a fantastic community effort. We had hundreds of people that volunteered their time, from all walks of life, with a huge array of skills – all doing whatever they could. Everyone was sweaty, with smiles on their faces because we could see it was going to be this fantastic facility that the community was creating."

An estimated 5,000 volunteers from Alamogordo, Cloudcroft, High Rolls, Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range came together to build Kids' Kingdom.

"We were just regular citizens that heard about similar playgrounds built around the country and we thought why not Alamogordo?" Probasco said. "The materials were donated, the equipment was donated, we had mothers, fathers, grandparents and kids there helping. It was such a wonderful thing for Otero County."

At the end of construction, Probasco said they were told the value of Kids' Kingdom was about $750,000.

"At the end of the project, we turned it over to the City of Alamogordo so they would maintain it," Probasco said. "They agreed to do it and they did a fabulous job. Every time I visit down there, I always visit Kids' Kingdom and it was in a great state. It was always filled with kids, every time I went down there."

After hearing the news of Friday's fire, many residents shared the same reaction of heartbreak and disappointment.

"This is really sad for our community," said Debbie Alton, an Alamogordo resident. "My husband and I helped build Kids Kingdom with many other volunteers. My children have their hand prints there and my daughter's three month old footprint was in the ceramic tiles. My adult kids and I are hoping the tiles are still able to be saved."

Many residents are holding hope that if the fire at Kids' Kingdom was arson, the perpetrator will be found.

"I think we'll find them," Shyne said. "Everybody in Alamogordo is upset that that treasure was lost and everybody in Alamogordo will have their ears open and eyes peeled for any evidence of some guilty party."

If Kids' Kingdom is rebuilt, French said he hopes the community will follow the same process the playscape was built under before.

"It just worked so well," French said. "Using the volunteers and paid organizers that knew what they were doing that helped corral the cats, everybody was productive and it was just a great experience for people."