Two years ago, as she stepped off the curb to cross the street, 6-year-old Georgia Walsh was struck and killed by a turning van on her way home from the neighbourhood library.

Now, preparation has begun for a $1.2 million renovation of Trace Manes Park — Georgia’s local playground — to honour Georgia and celebrate the community that pulled together in the wake of the accident.

“We were really quite positively overwhelmed by just how much the community rallied around us and supported us,” said Jillian Walsh, Georgia’s mom, who has led the park rejuvenation project with the Remembering Georgia Walsh organization.

The intent is to “give back to the community and pay tribute to (Georgia’s) life,” said Walsh.

She was “a bright light in a lot of people’s lives,” Walsh added.

Georgia’s sudden death rocked her Leaside community, a shock that reverberated throughout the city. Georgia, described by her mom as a “spirited, independent girl,” had asked to walk home from the library on her own, with Walsh following along by car.

Crossing the street at McRae Dr. and Millwood Rd., Georgia was hit by a turning vehicle.

“Georgia didn’t do anything wrong that day,” Walsh said, “She crossed on a green light.”

The driver of the van, Ranko Stupar, now 52, pleaded guilty to a careless driving charge and was fined $2,000 and had his licence suspended for two years.

The July 2014 accident sparked a neighbourhood movement to make roads safer for children at play. Printed signs and pink ribbon — tied on trees and signposts — urging motorists to drive with caution, still dot the city streets.

Walsh says the project is just one example of the support her family — her husband, John, and their three other kids age 19, 16, and 4 — received.

“We were touched beyond belief,” she added, “It was a real sense of the definition of community.”

The rejuvenation project at Trace Manes is part of an effort to “give back,” Walsh explained.

The renovation includes plans for a new splash pad, fences to reduce children’s access to the road, and a new playground surface to create wheelchair accessibility.

Once a name change request has been approved, the park is expected to be renamed in Georgia’s honour, Walsh said.

Since approaching the city with plans for renovation, Walsh and the Remembering Georgia Walsh organization have joined with the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation, the official funding partner of the city’s Parks, Forestry, and Recreation division.

The foundation serves as the “charitable partner” for the project, explained Carla Grant, executive director of the foundation.

“We’ve just been supporting them in that way,” said Grant. “This is a special effort by a community. They came together … after this tragedy and they wanted to do something to commemorate Georgia’s life.”

Walsh says approximately $300,000 has been raised so far — 25 per cent of the total project goal.

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So far, the grassroots fundraising efforts have been punctuated by the Georgia Walsh Memorial All-Star Games, a family event of baseball and fun-fair activities.

The second annual event will take place on Aug. 27, at Trace Manes Park.

Fundraising is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with shovels hitting ground in the fall of 2017. The park’s completion is projected for the spring of 2018.

Walsh has also paired up with Valerie Wood, founder of Emergency Response Training, to create a pedestrian safety presentation for children. In June, the pair visited 14 schools, speaking to approximately 5,000 students, about road safety and distracted driving.

The goal, Walsh explains, is to raise awareness of the fatal consequences of distracted driving.

People don’t realize how quickly a devastating accident can occur, she explained

“It takes seconds, seconds,” for a tragedy like Georgia’s to occur, Walsh said.

Ultimately, Walsh hopes to foster a safer environment for children at play in her neighbourhood, and the city as a whole.

I want to “make it so that people don’t have to go through the loss we had to suffer,” she said. “These accidents don’t have to happen.”

These projects have provided solace for Walsh in the two years since losing Georgia.

“That’s how I’m channeling my grief and my pain is to give back,” Walsh explained.

“I feel so driven and compelled to create positive change,” she said, “If through all this I can save one life, it’s worth every minute.”