Floyd and Franceline Parris Community Trail
The Floyd and Franceline Parris Community Trail, located behind the Cass Regional Medical Center campus in Harrisonville, is now open and available for use by the public.
The trail, which is a project of Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation, features two quarter-mile loops that wind through a natural setting. Benches are placed along the path for resting places, and a gazebo provides visual interest as well as additional seating and protection from the elements. The trail is paved in order to better accommodate visitors who use assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. A small parking area is located at the trailhead, which can be accessed from where Healing Way ends on the northwest side of the Cass Regional campus.
The trail was built and will be maintained with donated funds. Franceline Parris, who was a member of the Cass Regional Auxiliary for nearly 25 years before her death in October 2017, named the foundation as a beneficiary of her trust. In January 2019, the foundation board voted to allot $150,000 of her gift to the trail project, and to name it in honor of Franceline and her husband, Floyd, who passed away in 1993.
“We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Parris and her husband for making the trail possible,” said Sonya McLelland, administrative director of Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation. “It’s a tremendous honor for us to be stewards of their life’s work, which has become a legacy that will benefit the community for years to come.”
The eight acres on which the trail is located were donated to the foundation by Cass Medical Center Improvement Corporation, and other major donors to the project include Cass Regional Medical Center ($100,000) and The Sunderland Foundation ($50,000).
“We were pleased to partner with the foundation on the community trail through our donation,” said Chris Lang, CEO of the medical center. “We feel that our investment in the project demonstrates our commitment to promoting wellness. The trail invites people to be active and enjoy nature, which can help address some of the physical and mental health challenges that have been identified in our community health needs assessments.”
More than $385,000 was donated for the trail, which was designed by C.L. Maurer of Landplan Engineering, Lawrence, Kansas, and built by Howco Utilities, LLC, Pleasant Hill, Missouri. The five benches along the path were donated by the family and friends of Becky Beeman, Country Club Bank, Fred V. Kidd, Jr., the family and friends of Jamie Schlotzhauer, and Drs. Viseslav and Marija Tonkovic-Capin.
Several individuals and businesses also contributed through fundraising events that were held in 2019, as well as through the purchase of engraved pavers for a commemorative brick plaza that is located at the trailhead.
Commemorative Brick Plaza
A key fundraising effort for the trail is the sale of commemorative bricks which are installed near the trailhead. Honor a loved one, celebrate a special event, or simply secure your place in local history with a commemorative brick!
To purchase a brick online, please visit https://www.cassregional.org/forms/trailplaza/.
To purchase by mail, please fill out this form and return it with your payment to Cass Regional Medical Center Foundation, 2800 E. Rock Haven Road, Harrisonville, MO 64701.
For Cass Regional Employees ONLY: To purchase a brick by payroll deduction, please fill out this form and return it to Kristen Rew, Foundation Assistant.