A ceremony was held on Jan. 10 to unveil and dedicate a bronze plaque at Maruta Gardner Playground in Bonita Cove in Mission Bay.

The playground at 1100 W. Mission Bay Drive was named in honor of the late Maruta Gardner, a community leader and educator who was killed in 2016 by an impaired driver while she was removing graffiti from the Mission Beach jetty wall. Gardner died from a severe head injury in what police called a road rage-fueled hit-and-run crash by a drunken driver.

The large plaque has a three-dimensional image and bio of Gardner. It was purchased by the Mission Beach Women’s Club, a group Gardner was once president of, that raised funds for the upgrade of the park playground.

The MBWC had already raised $35,000 toward the park. But the City instead paid the $3.4 million cost, and the MBWC money has been earmarked and is already being used through the City to purchase playground equipment at Maruta Gardner Playground.

“Maruta and the MBWC were determined to upgrade the playground at Bonita Cove,” said Nancie Geller, board member and past president of MBWC. “The impetus for rebuilding the playground was drug paraphernalia and razor blades intentionally placed in the sand and causing harm to children who stepped on them. The park was simply a dangerous place. Unfortunately, Maruta didn’t live to see the fruits of her efforts.”

Added Geller: “A plaque is warranted so that generations to come will know who Maruta was what she did for the community and why this $3.4 million playground was developed in her name. The MBWC will always honor her life by providing play equipment and financial support for her playground. She left our community a better place.”

Gardner’s friend Dawn Reilly, referring to the late educator as her “mentor,” said Gardner had an unparalleled knack for getting people motivated and involved. “She was just a spark,” Reilly said. “She put people to work, gave them directives, and handed them jobs to do. She was great at ‘wrangling’ people. All of a sudden, you’d have a seat on a board and you’d go, ‘How did I get here?’ People would say, ‘Maruta just volunteered me.’”

Reilly spoke about Gardner’s community activism. “I always think of her like how a pebble creates lots of ripples that spread,” she said. “Maruta was like a giant stone that made big ripples and changes that had a positive effect on the community. Our honoring Maruta is keeping that conversation going, about how important community service is, to take action and make change, and to inspire other people to do the same. She was just one of a kind. That’s why we keep wanting her name out there – to show people how important it is to be a part of your community.”

The $3.4 million improvements at Maruta Gardner Playground included renovation of the half-acre playground, replacement of the comfort station, a new shade structure, enhanced security lighting, and sidewalk and pedestrian curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Other upgrades include a tot lot, baby, regular, group, tandem, and ADA swings as well as an assortment of slides, a seesaw, rubber ground, spinners, and a climbing structure. There is also a large grassy area on the playground with space for volleyball courts and to ride a bike.

Gardner chaired the Mission Beach Town Council’s Graffiti Patrol. Before painting over graffiti in the beach area, she would take photos and then send them to the San Diego Police Department’s gang unit so officers could identify the gangs to which the graffiti was tied.

The police department deputized Gardner and gave her an honorary badge. For more than 20 years, Gardner, riding a three-wheeled bicycle, hauled supplies and paint as she pedaled to different spots in the beach area to paint over graffiti.