The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School two months ago was so unspeakably tragic, it's almost impossible to envision a fitting way to memorialize and honor the lives of all 26 children and teachers lost. But a New Jersey firefighters' union has come up with a project that will do just that, and benefit children in local communities, too; they will build 26 playgrounds in towns that have been hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy, each one named and themed after one of the victims.
The $2.1 million project is called The Sandy Ground: Where Angels Play, and it's spearheaded by NJ's Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association; they'll be building 10 playgrounds in New York and New Jersey—including in Atlantic City and Staten Island—each, and 6 in Connecticut. The first playground will be built in Sea Bright in NJ; it will be named after slain special education teacher Ann Marie Murphy, and residents hope it will have a rebuilding effect after the town suffered significant damage in October's storm. "The residents of Sea Bright lost so much from Superstorm Sandy that something like a new playground, besides providing a safe place for our children to play, is also a symbol of hope and recovery," Mayor Dina Long told reporters. "It has a far greater impact than just a nice playground."
The Sea Bright park might feature a dog run in the park to memorialize Murphy's love for them, and the other playgrounds will include tokens reflecting the personalities of their namesakes. Jack Pinto, whose love for the NY Giants was so great he was buried in a Victor Cruz jersey, will get a football-themed playground, Catherine Hubbard will get a Staten Island playground by the sea, and Noah Posner's playground will be in Rockaway, near his grandfather's house. "We cannot imagine a more fitting tribute for Noah than a playground designed to offer children years of play and interaction with others in their community," Noah's parents, Lenny and Veronique Pozner, wrote. Groundbreaking begins on the first playground on March 1st; the project is also collecting donations on its website.
