To the Editor:

Nearly two years ago, we survived an unimaginably horrific day. Twenty-six families would never be the same.  Many more were changed forever.  Through the nightmare of the days that followed, my best-friend, my husband, repeated in my ear:  “Something good will come of this.” Impossible, I thought.  Just impossible.

Yet here I sit, nearly 22 months later, reflecting on the multitude of good that has come of the darkness that befell us.  Such an outpouring of love from all over the globe; countless acts of kindness between strangers.  Amazing things.

Last week, friends came together, ground was broken and the last playground was built in memory of our 26 angels that we lost at Sandy Hook School on 12-14-12.  Another chapter is closing on this book of our lives.  But this chapter is very special.   From that seed of darkness has grown a beautiful garden, full of vibrant colors and the joyful noise of hundreds of children.

The gardeners were strangers to us, but now they are family.  A group of NJ Firefighters who had rebuilt playgrounds in Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, had heard about the massacre at our lovely little school.  Though they were still trying to pick up the pieces from their own tragedy, the coastline devastation from Hurricane Sandy, they felt compelled to reach out to our broken community.  And “The Sandy Ground Project” was born. 

These amazing men and women have taken hundreds of hours of their own time to build playgrounds throughout the tri-state area.  An enormous amount of work goes into each and every playground, all to create a place where children can come to laugh and play and just “be kids.” And these earth-bound-angels do it all, on their own time, free of charge.  Of course, if you ask the group's leader, Bill Lavin, he would tell you that they do get paid for their work.  Each time they hear a child's squeal of delight, each time a family shares a story, smile or hug, it's a spiritual paycheck.  It is a labor of love from a group of generous, big-hearted souls.

They are called the Where Angels Play Foundation. They have completed all the playgrounds planned for “Sandy Ground.”  Last Sunday, the last ribbon was cut.  This final playground honors our principal, Dawn Hochsprung, who, with school psychologist Mary Sherlach, bravely ran into harm’s way when the first shots rang through the halls. They gave their lives for us that day.

I am forever grateful to Bill Lavin and the Where Angels Play Foundation for coming into our lives and creating places where our beautiful angels will be remembered and celebrated.

Though nothing will ever heal completely the wounds caused that day, no amount of goodness will ever fill the void left behind, thanks to people like the Where Angels Play Foundation, at least we can look back knowing that our innocent children and courageous educators left an impact on this world and something good did come of it.

Karen Wilk

Lyrical Lane, Sandy Hook            October 8, 2014