Angels to Play on Sea Bright Sands

Wedged between a mountain of barren, sullen beach and a boardwalk on the mend sits a sharp symbol of merciless honor and hope cushioned by soft sand — Sea Bright's Sandy Ground: Where Angels Play playground.

Meant to be a safe haven in which children can play and epitomize rebirth from tragedy and destruction, the symbolic playground will open on Saturday.

Sea Bright was the first Sandy-ravaged site chosen of 26 planned for different spots throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut to serve the dual purpose of signaling recovery and honoring each of those who lost their lives in the Newtown, Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Of the 26, 20 were children.

The Sandy recovery purpose merged with that of children and the Newtown tragedy came from a 9-year-old Mississippi victim of Hurricane Katrina who was grateful to the NJ Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association for getting a playground in her town.

In the midst of Katrina reovery, the playground was seen as a symbol of not only something fun, but loving support for her and those around her.

Considering the sunken feeling wrought by Sandy and, next, Newtown, the firefighters got to work coming up with a way to meld the two recoveries into one meaningful purpose.

And that's just what they did.

The Sea Bright project broke ground on March 1 in a sunrise ceremony on the beach. It is dedicated in the name and memory of Sandy Hook special education teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was deemed a hero for shielding and taking a bullet meant for one of her students.

The playground will signify her heroic love of children and hope for healing from disaster and tragedy, Mayor Dina Long has expressed.