Wind Phone Installed in Lakelands Park to Honor Local Community Member

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture recently installed a new Wind Phone in Lakelands Park, offering community members a peaceful space to reflect, remember, and connect with loved ones who have passed. This is only the fourth Wind Phone in Maryland and the second in Montgomery County.

A Wind Phone is a disconnected telephone placed in a quiet and natural setting for one-way conversations with departed loved ones, providing an opportunity for those navigating grief to speak freely, share memories, say goodbyes, or simply sit with their thoughts. The original Wind Phone was created in 2010 by Itaru Sasaki in Ōtsuchi, Japan and has since spread worldwide, with more than 400 installations across the United States.

The idea for the Gaithersburg Wind Phone was brought forward by community member Meaghann Diez, who wished to honor her late daughter, Hailey.

"When my daughter Hailey crossed, we searched for meaningful ways to honor her life and keep her spirit close to us," said Diez. "She lived with such fierce love, kindness, and passion for others that we wanted her legacy to be a reminder of the way she lived-which is why we always say, 'Live Like Hailey.' This wind phone is one of those ways. Inspired by the love, kindness, and compassion that defined her life, it stands as a place of connection, reflection, and hope."

The City partnered with The Little Wind Phone Project, a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing Wind Phones to public spaces, to create and install the feature. The Wind Phone was purchased and donated to the City by Diez. Members from the Robertson Park Youth Center designed the phone with Hailey in mind, incorporating her love of butterflies and the color blue. Staff from the Department of Public Works completed the installation on May 29, Hailey's birthday.

"When I first learned about the concept of a wind phone, I was deeply moved," said Rebecca Frece, Parks, Recreation and Culture division chief. "I immediately knew I wanted the Gaithersburg community to have access to such a meaningful resource. Everyone experiences loss and grief in their own way, and something as simple as a disconnected phone can offer profound comfort and connection during difficult times."

The Wind Phone in Lakelands Park is now open to the public and will be added to the original Wind Phone location directory.

About The Little Wind Phone Project

The Little Wind Phone Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering moments of peace, reflection, and connection. Inspired by the original Wind Phone in Japan, the project brings this idea to communities everywhere, making grief more approachable and healing more accessible. Each Wind Phone installation serves as an invitation to pause, speak freely, and find moments of peace in nature. By building and supporting these spaces, The Little Wind Phone Project fosters healing not just for individuals, but for communities as a whole.

For more information, please contact Division Chief Rebecca Frece with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.