Trees stolen from a Morton Grove park last fall will be replaced this spring, thanks to a donation from an anonymous donor.
“I was very touched; I couldn’t even imagine,” acknowledged Constantine Limjoco, the Morton Grove man who last year purchased three Japanese maples to recognize his grandsons and late parents — only to discover them dug up and stolen from Harrer Park last November. “I just wanted to honor my parents and dedicate (a tree) to my grandkids, but something like this just really touched my heart.”
A Morton Grove resident, who has asked to remain anonymous, said she and a small team of friends decided to donate $900 toward the purchase of larger replacement trees after reading Limjoco’s story in the Morton Grove Champion
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.Planting larger Japanese maples will make them harder to steal, but they also cost more than three times what Limjoco had initially spent, the woman said. It wouldn’t be fair to have him pay to replace the trees, which might negatively impact how he views them when passing them in the park, she said.
“We saw that Constantine is a man of honor and integrity, and I just hope by our group doing this, it will open the door to other people to do good things for others,” she said.
The group calls itself the Coral Angel Project and the residents look for ways to “pay it forward” in small ways when they come across needs in town, the woman said.
Jeff Wait, executive director of the Morton Grove Park District, presented Limjoco with the donation during the park board’s Feb. 16 meeting.
“It just really makes your heart swell that there are people out there who are trying to turn a bad situation better,” Wait said.
The original three-foot-tall Japanese maples were planted in August 2021 at the Harrer Park playground near Park View School. Limjoco said he chose the spot because his parents loved children and he hoped to someday have plaques installed at the base of the trees recognizing his parents, Theodoro and Lydia, and his two young grandsons, Oliver and Owen.
The trees, which Limjoco purchased for about $210 and provided to the park district, were discovered missing on Nov. 7 while Limjoco was taking a walk through the park.
Limjoco said he believes a new, more secure spot within the park may be needed for the new trees, which he and his wife, Digna, say they hope their grandsons will see growing each year as they, too, grow.
