On August 22, the community came together to honor the memory and legacy of Tommy Mark, as his parents, Doug and Nikki Mark, dedicated and opened Tommy’s Field at Vista Del Mar.
The multipurpose sports field, which is open to the public after school and on weekends, is on the 18-acre campus of Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services.
“We are honored to share Tommy’s spirit of play with Vista and to brighten our city one Tommy’s Field at a time,” Nikki Mark, president of TM23, said at the event.
In attendance at the opening were Mayor Karen Bass, LA City Councilmember for District 5 Katy Yaroslavsky, Vista CEO and President Lena Wilson and Chief Development and Marketing Officer Craig Prizant, as well as board members and leadership, community partners and donors. Vista’s children and teens also attended and participated in a Sports Day event provided by the L.A. Galaxy and L.A. Breakers F.C.
“Tommy’s Field at Vista Del Mar will be the heartbeat of our campus and culture, inspiring each and all of us to ‘Play it Forward’ on the field and off, thereby building a better, stronger, more just community and world together, united by the transformative power of play,” Vista board chair Jill Friedman said.
“Playing is one of the more fundamental behaviors,” Nikki Mark told the Journal. “Tommy taught me … you’ve got to have fun.”
Tommy Mark, who was passionate about all sports — especially soccer — was a month shy of his 13th birthday when he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in the spring of 2018.
Tommy Mark, who was passionate about all sports — especially soccer — was a month shy of his 13th birthday when he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in the spring of 2018. While the exact cause of death remains uncertain, according to the TM23 Foundation website, it is likely that an undiagnosed structural issue with his heart played a role.
TM23 Foundation’s mission is to create open air spaces and programming that embrace diversity, equality and inclusivity, inspire children to play and to positively impact the community. A few days before Tommy passed away, he asked his mom what she was going to do next. Nikki was a consultant, and she had just wrapped her latest project.
She told him it had to be something meaningful. In the meantime, she wanted to refurbish a dirt field in the park down the street to create a soccer/athletic field for the community until she found her next job. “‘He said, ‘That’s so cool, Mom. Everyone’s going to want to play on it. I can’t wait,’” Nikki said. Three days later, he was gone. “The day he left, my house filled up with people and friends and family,” she said. “A close soccer mom friend said, ‘Let’s build that field.’”
Tommy’s Field at Vista Del Mar is the second Tommy’s Field in the Los Angeles area; the first one opened in Westwood in fall of 2021. This one is a gift through Vista’s Premiere Philanthropy program, which enables a purpose-driven donor to honor or celebrate someone with a customized program. “This gift is a game changer that will both uplift the lives of generations of Vista children of all abilities and our care community and is also designed to solve a Vista and societal problem,” Prizant told the Journal. “Needless to say, these legacy projects are mitzvot, short term and long.”
Vista Del Mar provides help, hope, home and healing for children of all circumstances and abilities. What started out as a cottage-style orphanage in Southern California has become an innovative leader in education, mental health, autism, adoptions and early intervention. “With more than 4,000 families helped annually through our services, Vista is an important and active member of the community,” Prizant said. “Our unique therapeutic programs play a critical role in healing LA and making sure that no child is left behind. “
Added Lena Wilson, “We are energized by the boundless potential to collaborate with others, thereby bolstering new opportunities for our care community and our neighbors who together may thrive and reach their highest potential. On Tommy’s Field at Vista Del Mar and beyond, our unity is our strength.”
The Marks are honored to continue to lift up Los Angeles through the power of play. Nikki Mark said it’s beautiful to see adults and children playing together — or side by side — on a field. “What I love about the Jewish religion and faith is that it’s really about being good to your neighbors,” she said. “These fields really open up the idea that when you do something out of love, and for the right reasons, anything’s possible.”
