BOZEMAN — A year after 14-year-old Layton Smith died in a boating accident, the Monforton School community is preparing to honor his memory with a new playground designed to celebrate the life he lived.
WATCH: A new playground at Monforton Elementary will honor Layton Smith, a student who died in a boating accident last summer
The project, called Play. Heal. Grow., will bring a new playground to Monforton Elementary School while creating a lasting tribute to Smith, who died in June 2025 at Harrison Lake.
According to his obituary, Layton was remembered by family and friends as "unconditionally kind and goofy" with a gift for making others laugh.
"This playground was designed with his family, and it sort of embodies many aspects of him," said Andy Rowse, president of the Monforton School Foundation.
Rather than serving as only a place for children to play, Rowse said the playground was intentionally designed to reflect Layton's personality and interests.
The play structure will feature the words"Live Big Like Layton," along with Montana-themed play elements, photos of Layton fishing, and an interactive basketball game inspired by his love of the sport. The design also recognizes his recent participation in basketball camp with the Gallatin Raptors.
For Monforton Elementary students, the project also fills a longstanding need.
"We've got 700-ish students. Previously we had zero slides, so they are so excited about that," Rowse said.
The project became possible after the community raised more than $55,000 through donations from more than 80 contributors, along with support from local businesses that donated materials and services.
Construction will also receive help from Where Angels Play, an organization that builds playgrounds in communities recovering from tragedy. According to the organization's mission statement, it seeks "to create joyful places to play" while providing "hope, recovery, and a return to family values in the wake of senseless violence and tragedy."
The nonprofit, made up largely of first responder volunteers, will build its first Montana playground at Monforton Elementary. Rowse said volunteers travel across the country each summer to complete similar projects.
"They fly out, they stay, and they work and build these playgrounds, and they do this every summer across the country," Rowse said.
Some of the organization's volunteers also served as first responders following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Monforton Superintendent Laura Axtman said the completed playground will serve both current and future students while honoring Layton's legacy for years to come.
"Our ribbon cutting will be Aug. 8, and we will be cutting the ribbon right here and welcoming all of the community to join us in that effort," Axtman said.
