Back in 2018, 2-year-old Colin McGrath was killed at the intersection of L and 6th.  Out of this tragedy came Colin’s Joy Project – a special non-profit doing great things for the neighborhood and beyond.

Below is a message from the McGrath family posted via social media:

Today marks five years since Colin died and our lives were forever changed. Five-year milestones seem somehow more significant, yet every day since July 25, 2018 has felt significant in one way or another. Looking back on this last year though, there have been significant changes in our grief journey to acknowledge.

We’ve seen ongoing progress and excitement with Colin’s Joy Project. In June came the long-awaited start to our largest playground project, with DCR at Marine Park, and earlier this year we reached the $1M mark for our donations to our community partners. The community partners are actively working on programming that brings joy to families and we love seeing where our partnerships go with their inspiring work. Our Team Colin marathon team had a banner year of fundraising and the reach of Colin’s Joy Project grows with each mile they run.

Speaking of miles, this year also brought the arrival of our son Miles, who has helped to fill our grieving hearts with love. Miles has taught us the beautiful life lesson that one’s heart can be simultaneously full of grief and of love. As the poet Kahlil Gibran more eloquently stated – “the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

Thanks to the love, support, and encouragement of so many who choose to walk this journey with us, our hearts now contain so much joy despite our grief. Thank you for helping us keep Colin alive in our hearts and for helping us find joy despite our grief. And thank you to all who support our family, in big and small ways, every day.