The Vasquez’s story is one of courage and strength. Mia Vasquez, age 10, was born with a severe form of Cerebral Palsy. She wasn’t expected to live beyond her first birthday.
In 2016, the Vasquez family approached the Hayward Area Recreation District with a playground sketch and a $5000 gift from Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area.
Hearing the Vasquez’ story and the importance of inclusion for “all” of our residents, the HARD Board of Directors unanimously approved Mia’s Dream Come True Playground.
With tremendous contributions from the HARD Foundation, Alameda County, Kaiser Permanente, Eden Health District, the City of Hayward, Hayward Rotary Club and other major funders, HARD will be building one of the most unique and specialized access parks in California.
The Vasquez family’s love of HARD and Hayward is what makes the park so unique. It will have elements of iconic Hayward, including a fire truck donated by the Hayward Fire Department, a Water Tower emulating the cannery tower, reference to the Hayward Shoreline, Sulphur Creek Nature Center and the Hayward Airport. Various structures in the park will be fabricated by the same company who has done projects for The Walt Disney Company, Merlin Entertainments and Universal Studios. A large tree structure in the middle of the park is being designed by Andrew Johnstone, the project lead for the annual Burning Man Earth Project.
Mia’s Dream will transform a marginalized area of Hayward and it will become a destination for our community. It has been inspiring to see the community rally around the Vasquez family to support this innovative project. Mia’s Dream Come True will open late 2019 and will be the catalyst for the revitalization of South Hayward.
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