More than 100 people turned out for the opening of a new, state-of-the-art soft playground in Malvern, dedicated to celebrating the life of Julia Bitto, writes Holly Herman for the Malvern Patch. 

Julia, a bubbly six-year-old who loved people and dance, died in 2019. Her passing came less than two years after she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer: DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma).

The community recently gathered at the park off Winding Way in East Whiteland Township for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The “Where Angels Play” Foundation sponsored the playground. It was started in 2012 and has since built playgrounds in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina, as well as one to honor each student and teacher who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

The Julia Bitto Playground is the foundation’s 58th completed playground. 

“Building this playground in honor of our daughter is something we wanted to do,” said Julia’s mother, Christy. “Thank you everybody for supporting our family.” 

“I feel happiness, joy, sadness, and a lot of gratitude,” said Julia’s father, Timothy. 

Read more about the playground in the Malvern Patch.