A popular occasion commemorating dogs in Mound has an unique significance this year.
The park where “Westonka Dog Days 2023” happened remains in the middle of an effort to build a brand-new play area honoring a young boy who was killed in 2015.
“You know, it’s a year and a half ago almost but it’s still very raw in a lot of people’s hearts,” said Tiffany Bietler, co-founder of the Eli Hart Foundation.
It’s a catastrophe that struck the Mound neighborhood as a whole. 6-year-old Eli Hart’s life was taken prematurely by his mom, who was founded guilty of very first and second-degree murder previously this year.
“My daughter went to the same school — Shirley Hills — as Eli,” said Bietler. “We’ve really gotten close with them and his foster family as well really gotten close to them.”
Bietler and 2 others began the Eli Hart Foundation — with an objective to build a brand-new play area to change the existing one at Surfside Park.
“He loved to go to the playground. So that was a huge thing. That’s why we thought about doing the playground in his name and he specifically loved monkey bars,” said Bietler.
The task costs $340,000 — up until now they’ve raised $220,000. With the help of Dog Days guests like Joe Stein from Mound and his four-year-old, that objective is ending up being more sensible.
“I think it’s definitely brought awareness to… the troubles and trials that, you know, kids face that we may not fully see,” said Stein. “It’s to try and build something beautiful out of tragedy, you know, and remembering… a child who was taken too soon.”
All the funds from the dunk tank, in addition to a part of the Dog Days earnings, will approach building the play area — a location indicated to bring all generations together.
“It’s amazing that people care so much and are coming together to support this,” said Bietler.
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