The following is a post by Cody Goldberg, Founder and Executive Director of Harper's Playground.

I’m delighted and honored to shed some light on the subject of this year’s edition of our annual Spread the Love scarf.

First, as always, a little brief history: I met Jim Serrill back in 2010. He had driven to what is now the site of our first Harper’s Playground to meet Harper and me. He had a check in his hand for $3,500. The money was supposed to go towards an accessible tree house. I still owe Jim one of those. Anyone want to help?

Anyway... 

Back to the scarf. Those $3,500 had been raised through sales of a special scarf. Many of you reading these words likely own one of those Spread the Love scarves and most certainly many of you have a large collection of some of them: The Red Sweater Project, Street Roots, or Meals On Wheels. These were some of our most recent.

This year’s scarf is especially important, however: It’s going to build another playground in our radically inclusive design model. It’s also going to help a family who, like mine, started out on a mission much larger than they could imagine. My wife and I were motivated in large part through a personal need to so something, anything, with the enormous emotions of our journey into parenthood. Susan and Tom Robinson are also motivated from a deeply personal place. Here are my best words to help people understand:

Anna & Abby are two girls who loved life and have a wonderful family. While their time as we understand is was short on this physical plane, their parents are determined to see to it that those short physical lives are remembered for what they were: beautiful manifestations of love and joy. Because my wife and I were motivated to make a change, and because we received so much help along the way, we are extra eager to help when a playground project is connected with a family on a mission. This is just such a case.

The Timbers Army has been one of the greatest forces for good in our community and well beyond. We do so much for so many, and it looks like the need for our work is greater now that it has ever been. These beautiful scarves — and this year’s is by far the most wonderful design ever — are a reminder of the good we can do, and the power of remaining hopeful, joyful and yes, of spreading the love.