(Fergus Falls, MN) February 24, 2022 — The fundraising committee for Project Play: NP Park is pleased to announce NP Park will be renamed Dr. Allen Magnuson Park in memory of Dr. Allen E. Magnuson. The City Council unanimously approved the renaming of N.P. Park at its February 22, 2022 meeting.
Dr. Magnuson passed away on September 25, 2021. He served Fergus Falls and surrounding communities as a beloved Pediatrician with the Fergus Falls Medical Group for forty years (1978-2018). The children and families he cared for were very important to him. The fundraising committee felt this was an opportunity to recognize and honor his life and impact on our community. The new park, directly across the street from Lake Region Healthcare where he practiced medicine, will benefit and contribute to the wellness of children, which was his life’s work.
At the Council meeting Tuesday evening, fundraising committee chair Sarah Duffy said, “Dr. Magnuson has served so many children and families in our community and certainly this is an opportunity to honor his life. This playground will be an inclusive playground for children to play, learn, and explore, and that’s really what his passion was—children and the wellbeing of children.”
The Lake Region Healthcare Foundation in partnership with Lake Region Medical Group has established a fund to support their colleague and community hero by contributing to the park renovation in Magnuson’s honor as well. “Dr. Magnuson was a steady, calm presence as a member of the medical group for 40 years and was involved deeply in helping our organization and medical staff grow and continually strive for exceptional care,” said Lake Region Healthcare CEO, Kent Mattson. “Together with Dr. Eisinger, they defined pediatric healthcare in this organization and this region for decades. We fully support and thank the city for taking this action to honor Dr. Magnuson’s legacy and the profound and positive impact he had on our community, in particular generations of our kids.”
The new Dr. Allen Magnuson Park will start construction Spring 2022. This community-based project is led by Fergus Falls Noon Kiwanis. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. The new playground will be an ADA compliant, inclusive playground designed by Landscape Structures, Inc. out of Delano, Minnesota.
The fundraising committee is still seeking donations. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the City of Fergus Falls, Attn: NP Park Donations, 112 West Washington Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN 56537.
