It has been a long week for the Hacke family of West Mifflin, but not nearly as long as the night of January 7, 1997. That night marked the premature end of a short life; 2-year-old Ryan Hacke was the victim of a gang-related gun fight. The young boy was in his parent's minivan at a Homestead gas station when the bullets were fired.

The Hacke family was recently disappointed by the relatively light sentence imposed on the convicted gunman. Vaughn Mathis was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, for which he will serve nine to 18 years in jail.

There has been a bit of a silver lining behind the clouds, though. Mrs. Hacke has chosen to run for the Democratic nomination for the 18th Congressional District in an effort to help represent her area. The suburb where the Hacke family resides has come together to support the family, and has worked to create a playground to keep the memory of Ryan alive for many years to come.

Not long after the shooting, plans began for West Mifflin's Ryan Hacke Community Playground. Donations of nearly $100,000 have made the project possible. More importantly, hundreds of volunteers have given countless hours of planning, sanding, hammering, sawing and cooking that has been necessary to make the project a reality.

Volunteers come from all walks of life. There were people who took off work from their regular jobs, retired folks, and students who were transported to the job site by bus to participate in the construction.

Each day of the 5-day construction project brings with it a look of accomplishment, and a feeling of satisfaction for those involved. Where there was only ground a few days ago, there are 32 jungle-gym components popping up over a 12,000 square foot area.

When an OnTV representative mentioned that the weather had certainly changed to their advantage (the previous two weeks saw only one rain-free day), Mary Beth Hacke noted that "we have a little angel watching over us."

Organizers say that even though they have had tremendous response to their request for funds, they still need about $10,000 to cover the costs of the project. Anyone wishing to donate money or purchase a memorial brick should call (412) 885-1905.

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OnTV Photos By Alan Freed

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