Sandy Hook shooting victim Victoria Soto lives on in her hometown of Stratford, where a local road and elementary school will soon bear her name. This Friday, her legacy grows with the construction of the Victoria Soto memorial playground.
The playground construction site, located at Pender's Field in Longbrook Park, will be revealed at 8:30 a.m. on June 16, the six-month anniversary of the massacre that took Soto's life.
The playground is one of 26 being built to honor the shooting victims. The Sandy Ground Project: Where Angels Play is spearheading the initiative and was born from the New Jersey State Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association.
The association has a history of giving back. It built three Gulf Coast playgrounds in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, then decided to do the same in the Sandy-ravaged tri-state area.
Then came the Sandy Ground Project. So far, the project has constructed four playgrounds, making Soto's the fifth.
The other four, located in Westport, Ansonia, Sea Bright and Union Beach, honor Dylan Hockley, Anne Marie Murphy, Jack Pinto and Catherine Hubbard.
Soto's family plans to participate in the playground building and dedication.