Hope wins out in Parkovash Park

Here is my story of hope working in South Bend-

My family lives in the North Shore Triangle neighborhood just north of downtown SB. For many years neighbors Bob Downs and Al "Buddy" Kirsits threw a Halloween party for the neighborhood kids. They spent weeks decorating their yards, carved over 100 pumpkins and gave away a dentists dream of candy. We all watched the neighborhood kids grow from scared participants to actors in the annual event.

Tragically, in March of 2002 Bob was killed by a disgruntled employee while working at Bertrand products in Michigan. As October loomed near Buddy knew he couldn't pull off the celebration without his brother in ghastly adventures. Though we all mourned Bob's passing, many of us realized we also mourned the loss of the special sense of community he helped create on Halloween night. We decided not to allow our neighborhood to be once again victimized by violence in the loss of a Halloween celebration.

That October several neighbors put forth the first annual Parkovash Park Halloween Party. Totally funded and run by volunteers in the neighborhood, we play games, eat food, gather around a fire as we greet old friends and meet the new.

Most of all, I think we keep the hope for our city alive and refuse to cower in fear of those who would extinguish that hope.

Judie Mengel