WESTWOOD, Calif. – The parents of 12-year-old Tommy Mark, Doug and Nikki, describe him as a charismatic kid who stole everyone’s heart.

But on the morning of April 17, 2018 Nikki went into his room and found Tommy dead, possibly due to heart failure but they still don’t know for sure.

“As my younger son says, we all died that day,” said Nikki.

While grieving, their community came to them asking to build something in Tommy’s honor.

“Let’s build something that spreads the joy he had in life and the passion he had for sports, and build Tommy’s field,” said Nikki.  

Tommy started playing soccer at age 3 and was a standout. He played on Los Angeles Football Club’s first academy team, and at the time of his death was on the Galaxy’s academy team.  

Thousands of donations from the community started pouring in for Tommy’s Field, from lemonade stands to bar mitzvahs, to fundraisers at the Comedy Store and The Orpheum. In total they raised $1.2 million that the city said they would need for the field.

“It makes me smile to this day because it’s just so Tommy. To still be connecting everybody, to still be trying to unify everyone, especially around him,” said Nikki.

It took a year to raise the money, design the field, and pick the location of Westwood Park. But when the Marks went into their first public meeting in May, they were shocked by the opposition to Tommy’s Field.

“Initially they said this was their backyard, this was their park, we don’t need more soccer, we don’t need more fields, don’t take away our green space,” said Nikki.

At first Tommy’s Field was designed to be on the open space, but the Marks agreed to redesign and move it to a different area.  But the opposition is still unsatisfied.

“We moved the field, they got the big win. They’re down to a few people who are still opposed and they just don’t want another athletic field in that park,” said Doug.

After the eighth council meeting, the field’s future will be heard in front of the Recreation and Parks Task Force. One member of the opposition hopes they will reconsider before making a vote.

“The department of Recreation and Parks takes a holistic look at this park and really examines all the ways in which placing this field here would affect the people who currently use the facilities,” said Jaime Rooke.

The future of Tommy’s Field remains in the hands of Rec and Parks and the City. But the Marks, want the opposition to remember, that the field is a gift to the community and a project of love.

“There’s no win for us, we’ve already lost. So for us please allow us to give you this gift, please receive it with open arms,” said Nikki.