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Community Corner

Waveland Park Basketball Court Serves as Reminder of Lake Forest Youngster's Spirit

Friends and family of Daniel Jaekel raise money to help build court to preserve his memory.

Alex Moore grew up within walking distance of in Lake Forest, and his companion at the park more often than not was Daniel Jaekel.

“I remember playing on the Waveland jungle gym with him on the weekends,” Moore said. “So every time I go there, I can just think of all the fun times we had there.”

Moore was back at the park late in September, but playing a game of hoops on ’s new basketball court, which was dedicated to Jaekel.

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In November 2005, at age 11, Jaekel died suddenly of a heart condition. His parents, Mary Kay and Tom, and his sisters Libby and Sarah knew that Daniel’s spirit of friendship and kindness would never be forgotten. However, they wanted to do something to bring his friends, like Moore, and family together to remember him and to raise funds for a memorial in the future.

Bowling Party Becomes Fundraiser

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A year after Daniel’s death, the Jaekels hosted the first annual bowling party fundraiser at Fat Man Bowl in Lake Bluff.

“The party takes place the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and there are always 50 to 100 people in attendance. Daniel’s former Cub Scout friends, neighborhood friends, and sports friends all come,” said Mary Kay.

Moore and his family always have made sure to be there.

“It’s a fun way to remember Daniel with all of his close friends and family, and all the memories everyone has of him,” Alex said. “I enjoy participating in the fundraiser so I can help support the Jaekel family for all the things they have done for me.”

Waveland Renovation Leads to Choosing Basketball Court

Guests gave a donation to bowl at the fundraiser and after five years, they raised enough money to build a new basketball court in memory of Daniel.

“I asked Daniel’s friends who participated in the annual fundraiser to come up with ideas. They thought up several ideas, a fitness trail was one but then we learned that the Park District was redoing and needed a new basketball court,” recalled Mary Kay.

They unanimously agreed to go with the basketball court, and so did Mary Kay and her family.

The Park District took away one of the four tennis courts at and converted it into a basketball court. The Jaekels donated between $12,000 and $13,000 that they raised from the fundraisers to the Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation to help pay for the court.

Special Plaque Marks Court

On Sept. 24, they celebrated the court’s completion with a barbeque and dedication.

Daniel’s friends, neighbors, and family attended the dedication, where the Jaekels’ unveiled a plaque that Mary Kay had made from an imprint of Daniel’s hand. The imprint was made for Sarah and Libby by the nurses at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital.

“At Notre Dame, there is a plaque that says ‘Play like a Champion’ and the players high five it as they go on the field,” Mary Kay said. “I thought that it would be nice to do a plaque with Daniel’s handprint that players could high five as they went on the court to play.”

The Jaekels also gave each attendee a green and white basketball with Daniel’s name on it as keepsakes.

At the dedication, Daniel’s friends had the opportunity to be the first to play on the court and high five Daniel’s plaque. 

“The court means a lot to me because it’s a place where not only his old friends can come to remember him, but it will let younger kids who didn’t exactly know him learn about him and keep his memory alive,” said Jack Troller.

The Jaekels will have one more fundraiser to help “tie up loose ends.” The annual bowling party will become an opportunity to bring friends and family together to reminisce about the friend they had in Daniel.

Moore knows that every time he walks on the basketball court at , Daniel is there with him.

“It keeps Daniel's spirit alive, so whenever I play on it, I can think of him and how he had such a big impact on my life,” he said.

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