it's built on the spirit of kindness a
labor of love a project designed and
built in memory of a 16 year old girl
taken too soon I think she would have
loved this family and friends of this
young woman found a way to honor her
life helping children who come to Haven
after escaping domestic violence
situation we're talking about children
who have experienced severe trauma by
donating their time and a little elbow
grease our Steve Gary's Yola shows us
the space they've created that allows
these children to feel like kids again
when is a playground more than just a
playground when it's a lasting legacy of
kindness they gather to create something
special and it's a labor of love I'm
just overwhelmed with emotion knowing
that this beautiful playground will be
dedicated to my daughter and that the
children of the Haven will be able to
use it for years to come this army of
volunteers friends and co-workers in
partnership with Michigan recreational
construction and Regina's employer
Cooper standard it does take a village
I've been in the automotive industry for
24 years and never worked for a company
that cared about their employees as much
as Cooper
the inspiration for this project is
Regina's daughter Darian she was a
student-athlete at Brighton High School
Darian died in a car crash this past
February on her way to hockey practice
with a teammate their car went off the
freeway and both girls were killed no
speeding no alcohol no good answer as to
why this tragedy happened or how a
family moves forward people can can only
imagine what we're going through as
parents to have lost our daughter and
they just want to do something I think
just to help this particular day was not
the best for building a playground but a
little mud okay a lot of mud isn't about
to slow this crew down they ask
themselves what would Darian do do you
would have won this she loves kids
and I think she would have had really
fun if she could have been here to help
us it rain there was wind there was Sun
and it was just and they just all the
volunteers just stuck to it and and they
were so committed to to completing the
the playground that it was amazing in
the weeks after the accident
dozens of classmates contacted Darian's
family to share their stories of her
quiet gifts of kindness one girl was
ready to commit suicide and her parents
found a suicide note in her room and
when they sat her down to talk about it
she said the only reason I haven't done
something terrible is because of Dereon
caring this is beautiful was Darien's
message a message now shared with these
bracelets we see you doing something
kind or like they're just like kind of
general so we're hoping that it can
spread like really quickly and encourage
people to be kind just like Darien was
I've been contacted by principals and
teachers and other people in other
states even to get these bracelets so
I've ordered thousands of them and what
about the product of all this hard work
on that rainy day this fabulous
playground a gift for children of
domestic violence survivors and they
feel safe in that space and then you can
see the VI so the children just light up
and and you can hear the laughter that
is you know so joyful for the
circumstances of their
so much thought went into it that I
think she's looking down on us and she's
smiling she's happy a gift of kindness
that will keep giving for a long time
I'm Steve Garagiola local 4 what a
beautiful legacy kindness is beautiful
is a great story
darienne's playground by the way was
paid for by a Cooper standard Foundation
grant also matching money by Haven
Cooper standard automotive employees and
also Darian's family and friends and
future donations we should point out
will go on to help maintain the
playground and grow a garden too so
great stuff