A Family Tradition
- Kyle Taft
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
Darcy Allegrini follows good examples, and creates some of her own, in her role as President of the Remington Park Department.
Darcy Allegrini isn't looking for any special attention. The Purdue University graduate and current Town of Remington Park Board president was born and raised here in Remington. The way she sees it, she's just following the good example of good people in this exceptional farming community.
“My dad was on the Remington Park Board, my sister was on it, and it’s always been a part of my family to do what we can to give back to the Remington community,” said Allegrini, an accounts payable specialist at FBI Builders in Remington. “This is a close-knit place where we take strength in each other, and we’re involved in our organizations, schools, and churches. We participate, and the park board is something that’s always been important in my family.”
Allegrini is doing more than simply participating, though. She is helping to oversee a major development for the town as Remington moves forward with the expansion of Remington Community Park. The $2M project will provide Remington with an inclusive playground for kids of all physical abilities. Features of the new playground--the only one of its kind within a two-hour drive--will include accessible surfacing and inclusive equipment like a universal, ground-level carousel and an ADA cliffrider with a slide, so kids at all levels of ability can join in the fun and play.
Building the inclusive playground will cost approximately $2M and is made possible through public funding and corporate and individual gifts made to a pass-through fund with the Jasper Newton Foundation (JNF).
“In our community, there is plenty of space, but only so much to do—and it’s important to have an outdoor space where all kids can feel included and have the chance to play with others,” said Allegrini. “I have great memories of the park—there’s a slide that’s still there, I remember going on when I was four or five years old. Being able to be a kid and have a place to play freely has always been important, and in this day and age, it’s even more important. With the expansion, Remington Community Park will continue to be that place for all of our families and all of our children. And it can be a welcoming haven for people in our surrounding area who have children with different abilities.”
For Allegrini, all the work that has gone into the park expansion project—from procuring funding to gathering community input, and research and planning—is well worth it. What’s more, her work helps carry on her family heritage.
“You don’t get involved to be noticed, or for personal reasons,” said Allegrini, “but it’s a good feeling because I know in my heart that I’m giving back to my community with my efforts. I’m thankful that my parents raised leaders who are not afraid to stand up, speak up, and offer ideas. I’m happy they instilled that in us.”
These days, working with the park board is even more of a family endeavor. Allegrini’s husband, Tom, has served on the park board with her since 2019.
“It’s nice to have something important we can work on together, and to be able to bounce ideas off each other at home,” said Allegrini. “I’m good at helping people get past their comfort zone. That’s part of why I like to be involved. It’s been great to have this opportunity to work on the board with my husband and see him value my family’s tradition of involvement. Teamwork is truly the key.”
Teamwork surely is, especially in the Town of Remington.
To learn more about the project, please call 219-866-5756 or visit https://www.remingtonindiana.org/park-expansion.
To support this project, please mail checks to the Jasper Newton Foundation at PO Box 295, Rensselaer, IN 47978, and include “Remington Parks” on the memo line, or click here make your gift:
