A new playground at Chalco Hills Recreation Area will remember the legacy of a 4-year-old boy who died in 2018 due to unexpected cardiac arrest.

The Board of Directors of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District recently approved a cost share to purchase and install new playground facilities at the Sarpy County recreational area at Wehrspann Lake north of Gretna, replacing 30-year-old equipment.

The facility will be dedicated in the memory of 4-year-old Dominik Walters.

The Walters family would visit Chalco Hills every Sunday to play on the playground and explore the park, the Papio NRD said in a news release. After Dom’s death, the Walters approached the NRD about donating funds to create “Dom’s Park” at Chalco Hills “The Walters have turned unimaginable tragedy into a positive,” said Papio NRD General Manager John Winkler. “Countless children are going to be able to enjoy this new playground and Chalco Hills, as Dom and his family did. Dom’s Park is an incredible tribute to Dom and gift to the Omaha community that will last for years to come.”

The cost of the playground was $279,071. Donations to the Dominik Walters Memorial Fund, including a matching grant from playground equipment company BCI Burke Co., contributed $105,000 to the Papio NRD. 

“At the time we tragically lost Dominik, we never imagined that we would cement his legacy with a new playground,” Dom’s parents, Ryan and Tiffany Walters, said in a statement. “We are forever indebted to every individual who empathized with his story and contributed to our effort, and we are truly blessed to have this public-private partnership with the Papio NRD to make Dom’s Park a reality. We have so much joy in our hearts knowing that thousands of children will enjoy Dom’s Park at the very location Dominik absolutely loved.”

Winkler said the NRD appreciated the opportunity to be a part of the playground project.

“It has been a tremendous honor to work with Ryan, Tiffany, and Boon and to be a partner on this special cost share project,” Winkler said. ““Without hesitation, the board of directors unanimously voted to approve the donation and the naming of Dom’s Park.”

Construction of Dom’s Park will take place this spring near Picnic Area 1 of Chalco Hills.