- April 26, 2024
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The Cameron Brenneman Memorial Playground at Sanchez Park was dedicated Oct. 13, as friends and family gathered in remembrance.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
Cameron Brenneman may be gone, but he will never be forgotten, thanks to a newly renovated playground at Sanchez Park dedicated in his name.
Killed Jan. 11, hit by a truck driven by his sister as she was picking him up for school, Cameron Brenneman, 12, had a ceremony held in his honor Oct. 13, to unveil the new Memorial Playground.
The park would never have come to be, however, if not for two of Brenneman's classmates, Hayleigh Ruddell and Hailey Remigio, who brought the idea to the city’s attention.
“You can’t give enough thanks to Hayleigh and Hailey for their efforts,” Mayor Ed Kelley said. “What it shows is the community spirit and dedication of two young girls trying to make a difference in a horrible, tragic situation.”
Hayleigh and Hailey said the playground made sense as a memorial because it was somewhere Cameron always went. They also said it turned out just as they had hoped.
“Hayleigh and Hailey spent many hours, I can tell you, ensuring the components of this playground were all about Cameron,” Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin said, adding the girls had to bring the idea before the Ormond Beach City Commission and Planning Board.
Cameron’s mother, Patti Brenneman, said that while she still mourns the loss of her son, she’s happy knowing his name will be a part of the lives of countless children who play at the park.
“This has been an emotional 10 months of sadness and pain, enlightenment and healing, for myself and my family,” she said at the dedication. “And without the support of many of you that have traveled this journey along with us, I would not have been able to stand up here now.”
