East Providence dedicates playground to 5-year-old Blake Costa

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Family, friends, and members of the East Providence community gathered at Grassy Plains Park this weekend as the park’s playground was dedicated to Blake Costa, the local boy who touched countless lives during his battle with a rare form of brain cancer.

Blake was diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare cancer that forms in the brain stem, shortly before turning 2 years old. Despite years of treatments and challenges, family members say Blake never stopped smiling, cooking, and inspiring those around him before passing away at just 5-years-old on May 21, 2020.

On Saturday, family, friends, and community members gathered as a memorial plaque honoring Blake was officially dedicated at the park where he once played and made memories with his family.

Since Blake’s passing, his parents, Nick and Lisa Costa, have continued keeping his memory alive through donations to children’s hospitals and the annual Blake’s Kitchen Cook Off, which raises money for Children’s Wishes of Rhode Island and helps grant wishes for children battling terminal illnesses.

The plaque now stands as a permanent reminder of Blake’s impact on not only East Providence, but communities across Rhode Island.