A bronze statue of Melaina chasing butterflies has been reinstalled at Melaina’s Magical Playland in Cape County Park North in Cape Girardeau.
The statue was stolen in January and vandalized, then recovered after police received an anonymous tip as to its whereabouts.
Melaina was the daughter of KFVS-12 news anchor Jeff Cunningham and his wife, Andrea.
Melaina died in 2009 after a battle with muscular dystrophy.
The memorial playground is designed for children of all physical capabilities to enjoy, and the statue was erected in her memory.
The statue was unable to be repaired, so a new one was commissioned, Jeff Cunningham said.
He said the outpouring of support has been tremendous.
“It was incredible,” Cunningham said, adding he had gotten a call from the parks superintendent, Bryan Sander, about the statue’s theft Jan. 7.
Cunningham posted about it on Facebook and left for the day with Andrea.
“Three hours later I went back to look; it went crazy,” Cunningham said.
“People were fired up about it. It meant a lot to us that people were that upset and wanted to help,” he said.
Cunningham said he wanted people to understand the statue was insured, and they would have replaced it, no matter what.
“We got numerous donations and GoFundMe pages specifically for the statue,” he said. “Even without insurance, we would have been able to replace it.”
Cunningham said all of the donations were meaningful — from the bigger gestures to the letters he’d receive with a $5 bill tucked inside.
“They all meant a lot. The fact they took time to think of us and add to our project means the world,” he said.
Cunningham said building the park has been an essentially positive experience, except it’s in memory of their daughter.
“A lot of messages I got yesterday on Facebook were to the tune of, ‘It’s all back in place now. It’s whole again,’” he said. “It’s great to see it out there.”
Cunningham said he also saw a lot of people sending prayers via their posts that nothing happens to the statue again.
There are security measures in place at the park, Cunningham said, including lights and security cameras.
“It just means a lot to us. We’re glad people love the playground, have embraced it, see it as a positive addition to the community,” he said.
In January, two 16-year-old juveniles and 17-year-old Solomon Garcia of Cape Girardeau were taken into custody after Cape Girardeau police received an anonymous tip about the statue’s location, according to Sgt. Adam Glueck.
Glueck said in a text message Tuesday the two juveniles were cited into juvenile court in January.
Garcia was arrested in connection to this incident.
He was released, and charges were under review, according to Glueck.
Court documents state Garcia is charged with felony stealing and property damage.
A hearing is scheduled for May 3.
A call to Cape Girardeau County parks superintendent Bryan Sander was not immediately returned.
Cunningham said he deeply appreciates the community’s support.
“We’ve been touched with how much people have embraced the playground, they send us messages telling us how much they love it,” he said. “We love to hear it.”
Cunningham said they think it’s great how much people love the park.
“It’s exactly what we wanted,” he said.
mniederkorn@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3630
Pertinent address:
Melaina’s Magical Playground, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
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