A Lasting Handprint

At Keebler Park, a beloved Dadeville tradition connects generations.

Story by Jeriah Freeman

For his grandparents, it was a simple moment filled with emotion. Suddenly, they could remember their own little girl placing her hand there years before. Now, they were watching her son do the same thing. Sometimes the smallest discoveries can bring back a lifetime of memories.

While playing at Keebler Park in Dadeville, the grandson of Dadeville’s mayor made a discovery that stopped his family in their tracks. Among the handprints left at the park years ago, he found one belonging to his mother. Excited by what he had found, he placed his own hand over hers.

A Tradition That Connects Generations

That connection between past and present is exactly what makes Keebler Park’s Handprint Project so special.

Created years ago as a way for families to leave a permanent mark at the park, the handprint wall has become a cherished piece of Dadeville history. Children who once pressed their tiny hands into the project are now adults, and some are returning with children of their own.

What began as a fun way to capture a moment in childhood has become something much bigger: a record of generations growing up in Dadeville.

Leave Your Mark at Keebler Park

The Dadeville Beautification Board is bringing the tradition back, giving a new generation the opportunity to add its mark while supporting the organization’s work in the community.

The fundraiser includes prints for children, puppy paw prints, and adult fingertip prints. The prints are created at One Oak Pottery in Dadeville.

For families who participate, the finished piece represents much more than a handprint. Years from now, another child may walk through Keebler Park and discover a familiar name or handprint. A parent may point to a tiny hand and explain, “That was mine.” Grandparents may remember exactly how old their children were when those prints were made.

And perhaps another child will place a hand over a parent’s, just as the mayor’s grandson did.

That is the beauty of traditions like this one. Childhood passes quickly, but the stories and connections created during those years remain.

Leaving a mark at Keebler Park is about capturing one small moment in time and creating a tangible reminder that can be rediscovered years, and even generations, later.

In a place where so many families have grown up, returned home and raised families of their own, those little handprints tell a much larger story.

They say, simply, “We were here.”

For current fundraiser details, contact the Dadeville Beautification Board or One Oak Pottery. Both can be found on Facebook.