APPLETON, WI — A lasting tribute to a slain Appleton firefighter takes a symbolic step forward. Groundbreaking ceremonies are held this afternoon for Phase One of the Lundgaard Park on Lightning Drive. It honors Mitchell Lundgaard who was shot and killed in 2019 by a man he’d helped revive from a drug overdose. Lundgaard’s widow, Lindsey, says she and her sons could not think of a better tribute to Mitch.
“One thing he loved to do with the boys on his day off was to take them to various parks around the area to play and explore,” she said. “He would come home and tell me about all the different features he loved about ever park. He and the boys created so many memories doing this together. So having a park in his honor is truly special.”
Lindsey Lundgaard also says her family is grateful that park planners reached out to them for input.
“It’s been fun for all of us to be involved in the park design process, ” she said. “Everyone has made sure had input into what they wanted to see in the park and ensured there were details included in the design that were representative of Mitch. We appreciate that this park memorializes all fallen firefighters in Appleton and is a place where the community cannot only remember Mitch’s sacrifice, but are constantly remind of how hard the firefighters of the city of Appleton work every day to serve our community.”
Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen also commended Lundgaard’s fellow firefighters for giving their time to the project.
“I’d like to recognize and thank the members of the Appleton Fire Department Lundgaard Park Committee,” he said. “Each of them brought an incredible amount of passion and persistence. The overall goal design a park that was fun for kids while honoring Mitch and the Lundgaard family. I’m proud to say that goal was accomplished.”
Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford recalled his only meeting with Mitch Lundgaard in October 2018. That’s when a historic home on the Lawrence University campus schedule for relocation, which Woodford was involved during his employment with the university, caught fire.
“There was so much going on and I was distracted and disparring,” Woodford recalls. “But this seemingly random interaction cut through all that noise. This firefighter was bright, friendly, reassuring. He had a great sense of humor…he had a presence in that moment that I’ll never forget. In a two-minute interaction at a low point, he lifted me up and left a lasting impression.”
Lundgaard Park is near Appleton Fire Station #6. Work on Lundgaard Park is expected to start by September 20 and is scheduled be finished by May 2024.
