Harrison Moms' Group Renovating Wilding Park

iHeartHarrison, a grassroots initiative started by a group of Harrison mothers dedicated to improving public spaces and cultivating pride in the Harrison community, recently announced the renovation of Wilding Park as its first project.

“Harrison is a beautiful place to live, thanks to the majestic natural landscape and the kind-hearted people who call it home,” said Jill Valente, one of the iHeartHarrison co-founders, in a prepared statement. “But the physical condition of some of our public and commercial areas doesn’t always reflect how special our community really is. iHeartHarrison is a grassroots effort committed to ensuring that the look and feel of the shared spaces in our town matches the spirit of the people who live here, one project at a time, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have the opportunity to be starting with the renovation of Wilding Park.”

Supported by iHeartHarrison organizers and their families, local businesses and civic leaders, the project at Wilding Park includes renovation of the existing shelter structure and restroom facilities, replacement of benches and picnic tables, repair and cleaning of playground equipment and the addition of new plantings and landscaping. Key elements of the work are already underway and the entire project is expected to be completed later this year.

“We are gratified by the tremendous support and encouragement we are receiving from businesses in the downtown area and throughout Harrison, in ways large and small,” said Sara Benson, another iHeartHarrison co-founder, who moved to Harrison with her family in 2013. “We are especially grateful to Morano Landscape for their generosity in providing the plantings and other landscaping services that will transform Wilding Park from a simple playground that was getting a little rough around the edges into something truly welcoming and beautiful that the whole community can use and enjoy for picnics, family get-togethers or spontaneous leisure time.”

The Harrison community is invited to participate in and celebrate the initiative through a kick-off event at Wilding Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7. The celebration will feature family-friendly karaoke music, face-painting, balloons, pizza, ice cream and other snacks. Children will have the opportunity to stamp their handprints as part of a new mural that will enliven the exterior walls of the restroom building, and volunteers of all ages will have the opportunity to find ways to support the improvements at Wilding Park and other future projects.

“Great things are happening thanks to the efforts of iHeartHarrison,” said Mayor Ron Belmont. “I am ecstatic to see that, through cooperation and team work, volunteers and town personnel will be revitalizing our beloved Wilding Park. Thank you to all those who work hard to keep Harrison looking its best.”

Wilding Park is located in the triangle at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Haviland Street, behind the Harrison Shopping Center on Halstead Avenue, less than 500 yards from Harrison’s Metro North commuter train station.

“Wilding Park is just the beginning. It is our sincere hope and commitment that the example we are setting can be a model for many other projects to come,” said Cristina Coco, also an iHeartHarrison co- founder and a longtime Harrison resident. “Our aim is to make sure that each project we undertake is functional and appealing in its own right, and even more important, that these efforts will have a collective impact that serves to revitalize and enrich the entire downtown area while inspiring a genuine sense of community of which we can all be proud.”

Should weather prohibit the scheduled celebration at the park, June 14 has been set as the alternative rain date.

“We all live in Harrison because we recognize the inherent value of this town and now it’s time to crystallize that in the form of beautification of public spaces,” said Whitney Okun and Amy Ensign, professional real estate agents with Houlihan Lawrence who are also Harrison residents and iHeartHarrison co-founders. “Nothing will enhance value more.”