A Moncton-area elementary school park will soon be renamed in honour of Becca Schofield, the late teen whose online campaign inspired people from around the world to take part in acts of kindness.
Community leaders gathered at Frank L. Bowser Elementary School in Riverview, N.B., Monday morning for the announcement.
READ MORE: Becca Schofield of #BeccaToldMeTo movement passes away after battle with cancer
Schofield died in February, after a battle with terminal brain cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis, Schofield began an online initiative with the hashtag #BeccaToldMeTo that encouraged people to complete random acts of kindness and share the stories on social media.
“Becca always thought about what cancer gave her, not what it took from her,” said Schofield’s mother, Anne. “It gave her a sense of purpose, it gave her appreciation for the little things. It make us look at the joy in the moments.”
A campaign to rebuild the park, which was originally built in 1994, launched in 2017. Sections of the wooden structures have been deemed unsafe and have been torn down.
Anne says her daughter would be very pleased to know it’s being reconstructed.
“The fact that they’re naming this park for Rebecca – this park has been a big part of her upbringing, a big part of…spending time in the summer time with the family, in the fall, any chance you had, you would come to the park,” she said.
The park, formerly known as All World Super Play Park, is being upgraded after a fundraising initiative. The campaign has a total goal of $650,000 and will include increased accessibility and an area for toddlers to play.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from the community,” said project manager Sean Rollo in a news release.
“We feel privileged to be able to honour Rebecca Schofield in this way. The Rebecca Schofield All World Super Play Park will be a place where kids can be kids – playing and having fun – for years to come.”
The campaign is largely funded through private donations.
As well, DQ New Brunswick is launching Buy a Cake for Becca as part of the campaign. Beginning Sept. 1, which marks Becca’s birthday, people can buy a voucher for an eight-inch ice cream cake at participating locations for $25 with proceeds going towards the park. The promotion ends Sept. 8.
What started as a social media movement is expected to hit the classrooms early in the upcoming school year. Every student in the province will be receiving a kindness card prior to Becca Schofield Day, which is Sept. 15.
“We ask them to go out and do an act of kindness in her name and pass the card on in the hope that the person who receives the card will also do an act of kindness and pass it on to someone else,” Anne said.