Park pays tribute to two brothers

By Laurel Myers

The legacy of two brothers and a dream to let kids be kids brought a community together last weekend.

On July 28, 1999, Sergeant Rick McDonald, a 12-year veteran of the Greater Sudbury Police Service, was laying a spike belt across a highway outside of Sudbury to stop a stolen minivan that was fleeing police. Instead, the vehicle struck and killed the 38-year-old officer instantly.

Rick’s younger brother, Danny, idolized his sibling and began a career as a corrections officer at the Sudbury jail. In 2000, in honour of his fallen brother, Danny established the annual Rick McDonald baseball tournament, which attracts police squad teams from around the province.

In a lasting tribute, Danny successfully petitioned to have the Azilda field – where his family had spent so much time playing fastball – renamed in honour of his brother.

The Rick McDonald Memorial Park was selected as one of eight parks in Canada to be developed through the Let Them Be Kids program, a nation-wide program that offers grants to help communities build playgrounds. Danny was a member of the Azilda Let Them Be Kids committee, and as Ziggy Zaldiner, chair of the committee said, “Danny was extremely excited that our park was chosen. He wanted to see a good facility in memory of his brother.”

On April 23, 2007, the night of a committee meeting, 38-year-old Danny lost his life in a motor vehicle accident.

In honour of his tireless work and dedication both to the project and his brother, the committee decided both brothers would be honoured in the revitalization of the park.

After a day of compassionate work by friends, family, community members and various local organizations, the McDonald family – clutching each other’s hands and wrapping each other in supportive hugs – gathered with more than 300 volunteers as the new sign for the park was unveiled, paying tribute to Rick and Danny.

“I can’t express the way I feel,” said Mariette McDonald-Aspirot, the mother of the two men. “It’s really an emotional day but we can tell they’re not forgotten. I want to thank everyone for today, it’s something I’ll never forget.”

As two commemorative plaques were uncovered in a newly developed garden in the park, Mariette shook with emotion, and as tears streamed down her face, she bent to kiss each plaque.

“It’s unbelievable that we can use our brother’s legacy to raise funds for the kids,” said Gilles McDonald. He and sister Marlene are the only surviving siblings in the family.

“My brothers were both fond of kids and they’re probably looking down smiling today.”

Danny left behind his two children, Chad and Chelsea, and two stepchildren, Colton and Marissa.

Evelyn Dutrisac, the city councillor for the Azilda area, helped bring the Let Them Be Kids project to fruition. Last November, Dutrisac nominated the park for the grant.

“We have to be agents of hope,” she said at the unveiling ceremony. “And everyone I saw today, they were all agents of hope. We’re bringing people together and building a community.”

Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez attended the event and took a moment to commend the Azilda community for what they had accomplished.

“When people in a community decide to accomplish something, nothing can stop them,” he said. “I want to congratulate you all for what you’ve done today in memory of two people who made a contribution to the community.

The memories will never die.”

Zaldiner marked the day as a historic one in the community and told all the volunteers to remember what they had done in the park on that day.

“This project brought together a dedicated group of people,” he said. “It started out as a dream, today it’s a reality.”

Phase One of the Let Them Be Kids project included planting flower beds, erecting a new play structure and skateboard park, creating walking paths and painting the bleachers, benches and fences in the park. Work is set to continue next year with plans to establish a seniors’ park in the same location.