Plan For Sports Complex Honoring 8-Year-Old Killed In Waukesha Parade

WAUKESHA, WI — A group of community members unveiled plans on Monday for additions to the William R. Oliver Youth Sports Complex in honor of Jackson Sparks.

Sparks, 8, was the youngest of six people killed in the Waukesha parade tragedy in November 2021.

Waukesha resident Matt Drvaric presented plans for the Sparks Complex, an addition to the W.R. Oliver Park, to the City of Waukesha Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board on Monday.

An artificial turf field, new lights, a new scoreboard, an updated concession and an arch that reads "Sparks Complex" are some of the additions in the plan for one of the four baseball diamonds in the complex, the proposal website said.

The updates would take $1.3 million to build, and Dvaric and his partners have teamed up with the Waukesha Community Fund to accept donations. Planners want the park additions completed by 2023, which is the same number as Sparks' Jersey, No. 23.

"The spirit of the field will serve to create excitement for the families, share memories and teach youth baseball players character through the game while bringing the community together," Drvaric said in a letter to the board.

Sparks' family told Drvaric that they had their greatest memories at W.R. Oliver Park, Drvaric told TMJ4.