A Very Special Playground in Manasquan Will Be Dedicated to a Child Killed In the Sandy Hook School Shooting

SquanStrong and the NJ Fireman's Benevolent Association will celebrate the life of Olivia Rose Engel by rebuilding a beach playground destroyed during Superstorm Sandy. And you are invited to the very special ribbon cutting...by boat or on land.

Water, boating, and spending days at the beach were a few of Olivia Engel's favorite things, making Manasquan the perfect location to honor the late 6-year-old. And what better way to do it than with a 'sea of boats' off the Manasquan beach sounding their horns in her memory.

You are invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, both on land and sea, where Olivia will be honored and remembered for her love of boating, beaching, sand and shells.

Olivia also loved dragonflies and  butterflies and the color purple. She is terribly missed, along with all of the 26 kids and adults killed in the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The Sandy Ground Project: Where Angels Play playground project's formal ground-breaking ceremony takes place this Thursday, August 1st, 2013, at 98 1st Avenue in Manasquan. The event will begin at 8 am to honor the 7th playground out of 26 to be built in coastal communities hit by Hurricane Sandy.

The ribbon will be cut for the grand opening of this playground the following day, August 2nd, at 6 pm.

The project was inspired by the violence in Newtown, Connecticut and also as an effort to restore the storm ravaged coast with living memorials to all children who have been victims of violence while creating safe, fun places for children to be children.

Attendees will include family members from Sandy Hook Elementary and Newtown, local firefighters, the SquanStrong community, and anyone else who would like to come.

Much of the funding for this playground was provided by SquanStron, a non-profit group created by Manasquan residents after Superstorm Sandy to help with rebuilding and restoring the community.