McCarver Elementary students will present their vision for the new features that will soon grace McCarver Park as part of the Zina Linnik Project during a groundbreaking celebration June 9 at 2 p.m. Following Linnik’s murder after she was abducted outside her home on July 4, 2007, students launched a campaign to pay tribute to their schoolmate by helping create special spaces designed for children to “play in peace” in their Upper Tacoma neighborhood. The children’s vision for the Zina Linnik Project is a $3.5 million initiative that will soon bring special features to two of Linnik’s neighborhood parks where she often played — McCarver and Wright Park.
McCarver Park will feature Ukrainian influenced designs including a community garden, a special interactive playground, a reading circle featuring a poem written for Linnik following her abduction and art reflective of her heritage. At the other end of her Upper Tacoma neighborhood, a new 3,000 square foot sprayground, community plaza and playground equipment will be installed at Wright Park.
During Wednesday’s groundbreaking, children will be joined by University of Washington and University of Puget Sound students who have mentored them in everything from urban landscaping and design to public speaking and civic leadership. Also joining them will be many community members and elected officials who stepped up to support the children following their presentations in classrooms, board rooms, at city hall and at the state capitol where they shared their vision with local legislators and the Governor. McCarver Park is located at 2301 S J Street in Tacoma.
The Greater Metro Parks Foundation is leading the fund raising effort for this project, in collaboration with Metro Parks Resource Development and the students at McCarver Elementary. Together, they have secured $2.9 million of the $3.5 million needed to fulfill the vision for both parks. The students will continue working with the Foundation to obtain the remaining contributions needed for construction and development of an endowment to help maintain the new park features.
Community members can support the campaign in a variety of ways. Zina Linnik Project T-shirts, designed by the children, will be available for purchase at the groundbreaking and through a variety of community organizations. Donors may also support the campaign through online contributions made via metroparksfoundation.org/zina-linnik-project or by calling the Greater Metro Parks Foundation at (253) 305-1041.
Construction will begin in both parks this summer with opening celebrations anticipated in the fall.
