Albion family donates playground to Bullard Park
File photo by Tom Rivers: Make-A-Wish and Bears Playgrounds unveiled this new playground for the Webb family in Albion on Jan. 19, 2017. This group includes, from left: Bears Playgrounds supervising foreman James Macwhorter, Tyler Angarano from Bears, Jon Langfitt from Make-A-Wish, Beth Webb, Elaina Webb, Kyle Webb, Lori Lund from Make-A-Wish, and James Dersam from Bears.
ALBION – An Albion family which received a new playground in their backyard in January 2017 has donated the setup to Bullard Park.
The Albion Village Board accepted the donation this evening. The playground will go at the Pee Wee Park section of Bullard, which is for smaller children.
Bears Playgrounds in Lima constructed the playground in January 2017. The company will relocate the playground to Bullard.
Beth and Kyle Webb are giving the village the playground. It was built for their late daughter, Elaina Webb, who was 2 ½ when she passed away from cancer on Feb. 7, 2017, less than a month after the playground was constructed.
Make-A-Wish worked with Bears Playgrounds to build the playground made of northern cider white logs. It has four slides, two bridges, swings and other equipment.
Elaina Webb, 2 ½ in January 2017, is shown with her father Kyle Webb and older brother Colin after a new playground was in the family’s backyard on Herrick Street in Albion.
Elaina fought acute myeloid leukemia for about nine months. She received three rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant.
Beth Webb said the family appreciates the support of the local small town while they were caring for their daughter.
“We would like to donate it to Bullard so the community that took care of us can have something from her,” Beth Webb told the Village Board this evening.
She said Bears Playgrounds will continue to honor the warranty on the playground.
Mayor Eileen Banker thanked the Webb family for giving the village the playground. She said a plaque will note it was given in honor of Elaina Webb.
