<\/a><\/p>\n Lamach wanted a playground where Matteo could play shoulder to shoulder with other children. She enlisted design firm Leather & Associates<\/a> and local Lions clubs to make the dream a reality.<\/p>\n \u201cI insisted on rubber surfaces, which was unheard of because most designs had gravel or sand,\u201d said Lamach of her quest to design a practical park. \u201cI was warned of the cost and that it would delay the opening. But I told them I would rather wait a year and be able to do it right.\u201d<\/p>\n The playground made headlines in the Bay area<\/a> for being one of the first inclusive parks in the region and also because the community built it in eight days.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis would not have happened without the Lions,\u201d said Lamach. \u201cThere would be no Matteo\u2019s Dream without the Lions club.\u201d<\/p>\n Lions raised $750,000 to help build the park.<\/p>\n More than 3,000 volunteers erected the 12,000 square-foot playground. Many of the volunteers were members of the 45 Lions clubs in the region.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like a barn raising, when the whole community would come together to help a neighbor build a barn,\u201d said Concord Director of Parks and Recreation Joan Carrico.\u00a0 \u201cIt is very rare in that you get to see something like that in your career. It was just very special.\u201d<\/p>\n Lions Clubs International President Barry Palmer has challenged Lions all over the world to dream big and take on projects that turn the impossible into possible. Lions felt Matteo\u2019s Dream was a perfect fit for this year\u2019s Tournament of Roses theme \u2013 Dreams Come True.<\/strong><\/p>\nLions Help Make Matteo’s Dream Come True<\/h3>\n
Matteo’s Dream in the Tournament of Roses Parade<\/h3>\n
![\"Matteo's](\"http:\/\/lionsclubs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/blog-matteo-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n