Playground to honor slain Struthers boy dedicated
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BOARDMAN – Six years after he was slain in a shooting at a Struthers home, Rowan Sweeney’s memory will live on at Boardman Park.
The first phase of Rowan’s Memorial Playground was dedicated Saturday afternoon near the Thomas C. Masters Pavilion. Representatives of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Boardman Park, the Rowan Sweeney Memorial Foundation, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and community supporters were in attendance.
A $54,319 NatureWorks grant from the ODNR helped fund the project, as did $145,000 from the foundation, which was launched as a charitable trust in 2021 before achieving nonprofit status the following year. The foundation remains committed to raising and offering funds “to enhance and enrich the cultural, charitable and recreational needs of the community and surrounding areas,” according to its mission statement.
The project will have room for future expansions and Boardman Park officials eventually plan to add a nature play section. The 6.900-square-foot playground will be similar to The Walnut Grove in Canfield, a one-acre, all-inclusive, safety-driven and designed playground for which the second phase was completed in mid-2019.
“Rowan's Memorial Playground is more than a new addition to Boardman Park. It is a symbol of community strength, compassion and the lasting impact that can be made when people come together for a shared purpose,” a news release from the park states.
Rowan, 4, was shot to death Sept. 21, 2020, during a home-invasion robbery at a Struthers house. The three men convicted of the crime are serving lengthy prison sentences.
Rowan was energetic and vibrant as well as gentle and tender-hearted, someone who was an avid animal lover and enjoyed attending Wee Care Day Care Center in Boardman and Sunshine and Lollipops Day Care in Struthers. Among his favorite items were Star Wars crocs, Nike shoes and Nerf guns. In addition, the child was drawn to superhero figures such as Spiderman, Flash, Captain America and Batman, according to his obituary.
He would have turned 11 on Oct. 4.