Addi Sinclair gets her park

Addison Sinclair’s wish finally has been granted. The small green space and play area outside her bedroom window at her family’s home in Summerport now has swings, and a picnic table is coming soon.

The community’s homeowners’ association board and about 200 residents gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of the new park, named Addison’s Park for the little girl who loved playing outside.

Addi wasn’t physically there — she died of cancer in December 2020 at the age of 8. But there were signs of Addi’s presence all around as dozens of families gathered for the occasion Easter weekend. The event included an egg hunt, something Addi and her brother used to enjoy every year in the open space next door.

Addi shared her home with her parents, Mark and Kara Sinclair, and her older brother, William. Her bedroom window looked out onto the play area, and she loved watching other children play, her mother said. But she thought the park needed some swings and a picnic table.

After Addi’s death, the Sinclairs set up a fund in hopes of raising money to add the extra pieces. They raised enough donations to pay for the swing set Addi wanted plus a few benches and some musical equipment because she loved music. The playground also includes several slides, climbing pieces, monkey bars, a gazebo, grassy area, rubber mulch and landscape borders.

The small playground previously installed in the park, which is near the neighborhood’s bike trail, was removed because of safety concerns, said Summerport HOA president Kevin Adams, and this time a larger apparatus and accessories were purchased.

Adams and other board members were installed in February 2023 and began working with the community, the Sinclairs and vendors to make this playground a reality. More than a year later, the new park and playground were ready for families. The dedication and sign unveiling took place just days before what would have been Addi’s 12th birthday.

Adams was one of the speakers, and he admitted he choked up when it was his turn to address the crowd.

“It was very moving,” he said. “Everybody had fun, we had free ice cream for the kids through a food truck, and the kids played all day in that park. It was just wonderful.”

“This year's Easter celebration in Summerport was a special one,” Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson wrote on her Facebook page following the dedication. “The neighborhood park where yesterday's Easter egg hunt took place was renamed to honor the memory of Addison Sinclair. Addison lived right next door to the park but tragically passed away in 2020. … In the years since, the Summerport community has rallied around the Sinclair family and the light that her parents, Mark and Kara, continue to bring to this neighborhood. It was the perfect morning for an Easter egg hunt and a fitting occasion to unveil a beautiful park that will serve as a reminder of the love felt for Addison.”

The timing of the park dedication and naming was special, Kara Sinclair said.

“Addi’s birthday was (April 4), and for her birthday we always had an egg hunt because it was that time of year and it was an open space next door,” she said.

When Adams approached the family about including an egg hunt in the dedication, Kara Sinclair said it was especially touching. She knows Addi would have loved everything about the day and the new playground.

“I think it’s the perfect memorial to her; she would love it,” Kara Sinclair said. “She would be playing at it every day. Her little friends that she played with every day are there.

“It’s a great remembrance, and it helps remember good times, so it’s nice — and it’s great to see the activity at the park and hearing the laughter,” Kara Sinclair said.

She moved her home office into Addi’s bedroom, so she now has that same view of the park and can hear children playing.

“We would like to extend many, many thanks to all who offered encouragement, assistance and hope during Addison’s cancer journey and to all who donated to make her park a reality,” Mark and Kara Sinclair said. “We are lucky to be a part of such an amazing community.”