APPLETON — In 2020, a northside neighborhood park close to Fire Station 6 was named Lundgaard Park in honor of Mitch Lundgaard, a firefighter who lost his life while in the line of duty on May 15, 2019.
Fast-forward just over four years, and family and friends of Lundgaard gathered at the park Wednesday to hear community leaders and members of Lundgaard's family on the land which will eventually become a pavilion, set to open sometime next year.
"I get messages from friends and other people throughout the community almost on a daily basis ... here with their grandkids or their kids, telling me how awesome the park is," Lindsey Lundgaard, Mitch's wife, said during the ceremony. "It's really special to hear that from everyone in the community."
The new playground is firefighter-themed, with slides, climbing installations and swings. Details revolve around scenes you might see at a fire station, with the front sign reading "Mitchell F Lundgaard Fire Station No. 1" near a fire truck play.
Dean Gazza, Appleton's director of parks, recreation and facilities management, was looking for available land for the park and was shocked to find a spot close to the fire station.
"(Gazza) called me back and he said, 'You're not gonna believe this, but we have parkland set aside,'" Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said. "'OK, great, but where is it?' He said, 'Well, this is the crazy part. It's right next to Fire Station 6.'"
Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen expressed his gratitude to Appleton and the firefighting community for the support provided to Lundgaard's family, friends and co-workers.
"I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone that was involved with getting us to this day, for bringing us together and for giving us a place for laughter and play, hope and healing and remembrance," Hansen said. “We come together to reflect and remember Mitch Lundgaard. We tell his story, so that we will never forget what amazing person he was."
More: 'Will always be our hero': Appleton firefighter Mitchell Lundgaard honored at funeral
Funding for the park was based on various donations by the community, however, community member Mary Beth Nienhaus and Robert Schultz, head of Pierce Manufacturing both briefly talked about the importance of the park for the community and the belief that this is the best park in Appleton.
The ceremony finished off with Lindsey Lundgaard thanking the community and sharing her excitement over being a part of the brainstorming for the park.
"It's been really fun for (my sons) and I to be involved with this entire park design process," Lundgaard said. "Everyone has made sure that we had input in what we wanted to see and ensure there were details that were representative of Mitch. This park has turned out absolutely amazing, and Mitch would definitely love it."
Lundgaard was previously honored by the renaming of the Appleton post office as the "Mitchell F. Lundgaard Post Office" and a benefit concert at Gibson Hall a month following the shooting with 100% of the proceeds going to the Lundgaard family.
Contact Abra Richardson via email arichardson@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Lundgaard Park is officially open with a brand new firefighter themed playground
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