EDITORIAL:

Perseverance.

It pays off sometimes. If you don’t believe it, just ask Doug Hansen.

Hansen, a Costa Mesa resident and father of a disabled girl named Angel, had a vision for a playground that could be used by his daughter and many, many more children as well.

So he went to City Hall with his idea and made a pitch. Let’s build a playground at TeWinkle Park that will cater to disabled children, he said.

Not likely, was the response he got back.

But Hansen persevered. He had a different answer. He pushed on to find the money for the playground and was successful in finding nearly $2 million in government grants and city funds.

The result is that after four years of being a salesman and developer all in one, Hansen’s vision is set to come true with the opening of Angels Playground this Friday.

Hansen’s story is a testament to a father’s love and willpower. What we will do for our children is without boundaries, and Hansen proved that with his efforts.

Many people have dreams and ideas for the betterment of society. But how many actually make those dreams a reality?

The truth is, very few.

Everyone has busy lives, especially parents. Carting children to school, to after-school sports, to the library or to church is time consuming, not to mention the jobs we need to do to keep roofs over our heads and food on the table.

Finding time to fight for causes or build a playground is hardly an easy thing to do.

That’s what makes Hansen’s accomplishments so remarkable. He found not only the money, but also the time to keep his dream alive.

We salute him for that spirit and drive and for showing us all that perseverance pays off.