For the many people who remember when Lucas Fritsche officially opened the first phase of the Lucas & Friends Backyard Adventures All-Inclusive Playground on Oct. 30, 2021, it may be hard to believe, but he’s driven himself around town for years and works a hard day on the family farm with his father.
Over the past year, his life has been expanding in every direction like other 17-year-old boys, beyond the all-inclusive playground he championed as a child, along with the strong support and hard work of his father and mother, Jennifer.
Since last fall, he has been experiencing frequent writer’s cramps from signing copies of a new children’s book from Unlimited Play that tells the story of his efforts to bring an all-inclusive playground to Perryville, titled “Lucas’ Big Idea: A Playground For All.”
Next month, on July 19, he will turn 18 years old. Earlier this week, Lucas, who is on the autism spectrum, and his mother stopped by the Republic-Monitor to discuss the new book.
Asked when he first laid eyes on the book, Lucas said, “I cannot remember the date.”
Coming quickly to the rescue, his mom said, “Oh, well, it was in the fall. I was before the gala, right?”
Josh replied, “Pretty sure. Yeah, yeah.”
“They had a fundraiser,” his mother said. “They have a gala every year. They made the books for that, and they did a little book signing there. That’s the first time Lucas had seen it.”
And what did Lucas think about the book? “I didn’t really read it,” he said. “I think they’re not really for me.”
Fritsche agreed with her son. “I think it’s for elementary children,” she said. “Like, you know, 5 to 10 years old. Way out of his age group.”
Lucas said he didn’t know who was reading the book, but added, “It’s usually just supporters of other playgrounds, and such, or just kids in elementary school. That’s what my mom said.”
Fritsche reminded her son that he had a great idea last year of whom he could give the books to as gifts.
“Who did we buy books for and give them to? She asked.
Lucas replied, “Oh, I also got a bunch of other teachers the books.”
His mom explained that they had bought books for the teachers and his principal at the time, who had helped to support Lucas and his idea to build an all-inclusive playground in town.
“It was everybody who was involved when he was little,” she said. “He wanted to wrap them up, so we wrapped them up and took the books to them as presents.”
And each of the books Lucas handed out as presents included his autograph on the inside cover. As he recalled the “ordeal” of signing that many books, Lucas grimaced and then smiled.
Lucas was asked if he would have ever believed back when he first came up with the idea of the all-inclusive playground, all the way back in elementary school, that he would still be so involved in the project as he prepares to turn 18, he said, “No, I never thought it would be this big. I didn’t want it to be this big. I just wanted to add some more equipment to the playground for my friends.”
This Saturday, Lucas Fritsche will be holding a book signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Read the Room, 9 E. Sainte Marie St., across from the Perryville Post Office.
