Jane's Park Is My Park
In the spring of 1999 Rhonda McIntire and I had a crystal moment and another project was born. We both had a vision of a large wooden playground, much like they had in Plymouth and Potawatomi Zoo, for our town of Bremen. We both new Jane Stillson, who had just died of cancer, choosing death so that her unborn daughter could be born healthy. We decided to begin the task of building a memorial for Jane, a playground. We never officially name the playground, but always referred to it as Jane's Park, and the name stuck.

We contacted the Marshall County Community Foundation and received a donation of $5,000.00 which kicked off our campaign. Somehow by connecting to the foundation, our donors knew we were serious about our cause, and had the backbone to reach our goals. We established a budget of $100,000.00 and set a construction date with hopes of finishing on Mother's Day as a tribute to all the mother's who have left this world, leaving their children to be raised by others.

We raised our funds in a variety of ways, never giving up. We had a special Trick or Treat night where the kids went out and collected money instead of candy. This alone raised over $1000.00. We had raffles, barbecues, business solicitations, and change buckets all over town. With the excellent organization of the MCCF, teamed with a good cause, the project took on a life of it's own. The whole intent of the MCCF is to bring the community together towards a common goal. On the first day of construction, the infamous Dr. Otis Bowen was "leader of the pack" on the chain saw gang. With his enthusiasm, we formed an aggressive and impressive crew. And, now, there is  a Jane's Park. This is my park, and this is your park.