A second field dedicated to power lawyer Doug Mark’s late son is set to open Aug. 22.
The latest Tommy’s Field installment will be unveiled at Vista Del Mar as part of a collaboration with Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services. Located in the center of Vista’s 18-acre campus in West L.A., the multipurpose sports field (with lights) aligns with Tommy’s passion for sports, specifically soccer.
The grand opening will feature remarks from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and council member Katy Yaroslavsky along with Doug and Nikki Mark and other notables from the L.A. Galaxy, L.A. Breakers, Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation and The Steve Tisch Foundation.
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Also planned for the day: Youth sports activities for Vista’s residents, care community and leadership, headed up by president and CEO Lena Wilson. Also participating: Premiere Philanthropy founder and CMO Craig Prizant, Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) members, Vista teachers, support teams, volunteers, donors and other community partners. The nonprofit Vista Del Mar offers educational, mental health, autism, adoptions and early intervention services.
Tommy was a month shy of his 13th birthday when he passed away on April 17, 2018. Exact cause of death was never revealed though his father confirms it was likely due to an undiagnosed structural issue with his heart. “Tommy was all about the spirit of play,” Doug tells The Hollywood Reporter. “He was dancing and singing and playing his whole life.”
Because of that passion, Tommy had always asked his parents why his local recreation center didn’t have a field. “Tommy had told us when he was still here that we needed a field,” recalls his father. After he passed, his parents attempted the heavy lift of trying to dedicate a space in his honor though they were met with months of debate and pushback from locals who opposed the plans by criticizing everything from size to its artificial surface. “Shockingly,” Doug recalls, neighbors and some community leaders tried to block it at every turn.
The Marks never gave up — Doug credits Nikki for “always handling Tommy’s legacy with great enthusiasm and care” — and the first Tommy’s Field opened at Westwood Recreation Center on Sept. 26, 2021. “We beat them and it’s been fantastic,” he adds. During the back-and-forth of it all, Doug says Vista officials heard about the trials and tribulations so they invited the family to their campus where the Marks were immediately taken by what they witnessed.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘Yeah, Tommy is giving us no choice. We have to build a second one,'” Doug says, getting emotional at the thought. “Tommy literally inspired it for kids who are different than he was. The school will now have a field that is flat, one that you can bounce a ball on and run without tripping on the ruts. It’s a great field to play on and that’s what Tommy always wanted.”
This story first appeared in the Aug. 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
