Done! Joey's Park Opening (For a While) Was Grand

A year ago, when proclaiming that a new Joey's Park would be designed, paid for and built within those 12 months, many politely thought Friends of Joey's Park Co-Chairs Diane Miller and Ellen Schreiber were being a might ambitious in their prediction.

But at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, as Schreiber counted down to zero, that hope became the reality as hundreds of children – followed by their parents – sprung onto every square inch of the (almost) completed modern play structure and park – costing more than $400,000 excluding half-a-million dollars in contributions in material and time – that replaced the original wooden configuration built 24 years ago to honor the life of Joey O’Donnell who died of cystic fibrosis at 12. 

So it was appropriate that Joey's father, Joe, spoke at the ribbon cutting, praising the Herculean efforts of Miller and Schreiber and the thousands of volunteers and contributing companies who came together through the entire building process – from the initial fundraising to creating a design and then through several days of the volunteer-powered "community build" – to make the park available for several generations of Belmont children.

"If only those [people] in Washington could see what we did here," O'Donnell said referring to the budget stalemate.

Then with the longest ribbon – a paper chain built by children in the past five days –  brought into the park, Schreiber gave the command and kids exploded onto the site (made of composite material that is expected to last more than 40 years, if not longer) to "test drive" every corner of the play structure. 

Kids whizzed down (and up) slides, hung on and swung from apparatus and explored the structures at decibel levels last heard on airport runways. 

And while the site was closed down as the sun went down and will stay shut for a while longer to complete the final touches, Schreiber – who acted as the chief lost and found coordinator – said that what makes this effort so special was the extent of the community being involved in creating what was opened yesterday.

"We can all be proud of it," she said before announcing yet another parent separated from their children.