The fundraising for an accessible playground for children has been successfully completed

• A 5 km run raised over $500,000 for the new playground.
• Construction of the accessible playground is planned to start in September.
• The Gaudreau brothers contributed to the fundraising event.

PHILADELPHIA — The first 5 km run, held in memory of John and Matt Gaudreau, helped raise over $500,000. These funds are sufficient to begin construction of the accessible playground at the school for special education, where their mother works.

In April, thousands of people participated in the event Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run at the Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey. This is the place where John and Matt grew up in childhood, located not far from the arena of the Philadelphia Flyers, where they started playing hockey. The run gathered over 1,100 participants on-site and many more virtually from the USA, Canada, and other countries.

The funds raised during the event, along with the donations made in memory of the brothers, allowed them to achieve their financial goal for the playground at the archdiocesan school of Damiano. This initiative was started in July 2020 by director Michelle Makloski. The Gaudreau brothers actively supported this cause in honor of their grandmother Maria, who worked at this school for 44 years and passed away in 2023.

It is planned that construction work will begin in early September or at the beginning of October, and on July 4, the start of community work will take place.

After a brief announcement about a possible tornado ahead, the event went off without a hitch. "After the rain, we thought that many people wouldn’t show up, but the turnout was wonderful. Many asked whether we would do this again next year," said Jane Gaudreau.

The next run is scheduled for May 16, 2026.

The Gaudreau brothers, John and Matt, passed away last September as a result of an accident when they were hit by a drunk driver while riding their bicycles.

The school of Archbishop Damiano was founded in 1968 for children with Down syndrome and currently serves 125 students with special needs. Jane Gaudreau, the brothers' mother, has worked there since 1984.

Tags: USA/Well-being