As students from Westhoff Elementary School unfurled a banner marking the occasion, O'Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy announced that the name of the new all-inclusive playground in Westhoff Park would be Brendan's Playground.

The announcement of the name took both Brendan and his family by surprise and was one of the highlights of Saturday's groundbreaking ceremony for the accessible play site.

The playground is named for 9-year-old Brendan Schmitt, an O'Fallon resident and Westhoff Elementary student. Brendan has a rare, genetic DNA-repair disease called Rothmund Thompson syndrome. With this disease, Brendan is missing certain bones and thumbs and has blotchy skin, thinning hair and a short stature.

Brendan was joined on stage by many of his Westhoff Elementary classmates, his parents Michael and Michelle Schmitt, and many other family members, including his aunt Victoria Schmitt Babb, who works for Unlimited Play Inc., the city's partner in the building of Brendan's Playground.

"Ever since I first met Brendan, he's really become the face of this playground for me," Hennessy said in a city news release. "I can't wait until this fall when Brendan can lead the charge of children out to the playground. In our society, we see so many examples of kids being pushed to grow up too soon. I want this playground to be a place where all children can come together, have fun and celebrate just being kids."

Several hundred people attended the groundbreaking event, which also included games, shows and family-friendly entertainment.