Mom's Central Park Bench
My mom was an incredible woman. She was full of life, love, spunk, youth, and positivity. She never let anyone feel unwanted or unloved and went out of her way to help people with whatever was ailing them. She had an eclectic and diverse array of friends and family whose lives she touched, which says everything about her selfless and generous character.
My mom meant the world to me and to everyone who knew her, so I want to do something in her memory that benefits others, not just myself and her loved ones. The day before she passed, I asked her for a list of her favorite places on Earth so that I could travel there throughout my life and spread her ashes. The first thing out of her mouth was Central Park. She *loved* Central Park. We used to walk through it all the time when I visited her, and every day I worked at the museum of natural History. She'd tell me on the phone about her trips around the reservoir, going to the Boathouse, etc. She has been all over the world, and still her favorite place was Central Park.
A bench can be acquired with a donation of $10,000. Adopt-A-Bench benefits the Central Park Conservancy. Information about both is linked below. Any donation helps. Even with one dollar, you can be part of the bench's existence. I am doing this because of Mom's love of the park and how much she cared about it, but also for the people who love her. She was cremated, so there is nowhere for us to go to mourn or visit her. While her ashes will not be part of this or the surrounding area, the bench will give us a sense of comfort, a physical place were we can go to meet and chat/laugh/cry, to sit in solitude and reflect, to talk to her, to create new memories. It will allow Mom to be a part of her favorite place in the world. As for why I am doing this through gofundme, that is because the website gives you one year to obtain the goal amount and if you do not reach it, they take the money anyway and put it towards the Conservancy without a bench to show for it.
I've included informative links below for more information. Thanks, everyone!
Adopt-A-Bench: https://www.centralpark.com/visitor-info/adopt-a-bench/
Central Park Conservancy - http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/
