Standing within the Charles River Esplanade behind a podium, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey succinctly summed up why so many public officials, football fans, and children were gathered on a patch of grass overlooking the Charles River Dam in Boston on Tuesday.

"Rob Gronkowski is a legend," Gov. Healey said of the former New England Patriots tight end, seated to her right alongside Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft.

"We adore him for so many reasons -- all of his exploits on the field and certainly all of his contributions off the field. He did some amazing things on the field, but as remarkable is what he continues to do off the field. You know, another guy a couple weeks ago got a statue. I think it's pretty cool that Gronk's got a playground."

As established as Gronkowski's legacy is in New England thanks to his three Super Bowl championships and reputation as the greatest tight end of all time, his latest gift to Boston is certainly a fitting way to honor the joy he embodies and has brought to the region.

Gronkowski finally got to see a finished Gronk Playground, his five-year passion project, for the first time this week.

"When I was in the hospital recovering from my injuries back in my playing days, I used to look out that very window up there and see this playground right here," Gronkowski said, pointing up to the 22^nd floor of Massachusetts General Hospital, just across the street.

"Every time I would think, man, that would be such a cool spot to turn into an awesome playground for kids. I always kept that in the back of my mind and now we're finally opening it."

It took a lot of hard work to get there, but it all started with a 9 p.m. phone call from Gronkowski to Susan Hurley, founder and president of CharityTeams and a longtime friend of the Patriots Foundation.

The idea had been bouncing around in the back of Gronkowski's mind since his series of arm surgeries in 2013. Early into his first retirement stint that followed the Patriots Super Bowl LIII victory against the Los Angeles Rams, he finally shared it with Hurley to get her feedback.

Together, they dreamed up a dynamic, universally accessible playground that inspired youth fitness and fun for children of all abilities. The jungle gym and slides would reflect some of Gronkowski's favorite aspects of Boston, like the iconic duck boats, the Zakim Bridge, the Charles River, the Boston Marathon, and of course, all the "Gronk Spikes" he celebrated for New England over the years.

And around the brown bars of the playground's spiked-football-shaped set of slides would be motivational quotes from Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, David Ortiz, David Pastrnak, Gabby Thomas, Aly Raisman, and 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi -- representing how ingrained sports are in the fabric of the city.

"I wanted all four sports teams to be a part of the playground," Gronkowski said. "It's the city of champions, so I needed to connect all four sports here in Boston at the playground."

Just like with Gronkowski's own charitable foundation, Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, the space will give back to the community through something he took advantage of growing up that helped mold him into the greatest tight end of all time: a safe and competitive place to play.

"I was always outside playing sports -- hanging out with the neighborhood kids, my brothers, my friends -- and I had every opportunity to compete as a kid. I was fortunate to have great people around me, good kids to play with, and places where we could be active all day long. That really helped shape me into who I am today as an athlete and off the field."

With his playground, Gronkowski hoped to host the same environment – not just for Boston's youth, but kids and families from around the world who visit this destination park.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed Bill H.3314 to designate the area as Gronk Playground on July 25, 2022.

With a big push from the Boston Marathon and the Falmouth Road Race, the expertise of Hurley helped Gronk Nation raise nearly $2 million to renovate the former Charlesbank Playground. Combined with funds from Esplanade Association and the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation, the space was revealed to Gronkowski after Tuesday's ceremony.

"I want to thank our beloved Mr. Robert Kraft, the greatest owner in sports history, for instilling in Rob the importance of philanthropy and selflessness early on as an athlete," Hurley said at the podium, reflecting on what it took to make the day possible since that initial phone call she took from Gronkowski.

"I'm going to go off script here for one second when I talk about why we're here and how we got here. So many of you know I'm battling Stage 4 cancer. Since May, I've been in the hospital 7 times. Guess what floor I was on? Guess what I was overlooking? I was up at Ellison 22 every single day. I looked down at this playground, wondering if I was going to be here. And here I am."

Hurley's words about their similar hospital view moved Gronkowski to tears when she invited him up to speak. Without her hard work and resilience, none of it would be possible. At the end of his speech, Gronkowski announced a surprise for Hurley and Kraft: the two elm trees situated within the playscape are dedicated to them for their guidance and mentorship in giving back to the community.

After Kraft posed with Gronkowski for a picture under Kraft's special tree, the Patriots chairman and CEO told the future Patriots Hall of Famer how proud he was of him.

"I want these kids to have a great childhood growing up here in the city," Gronkowski said.

"It's great to give back to the community that supported me throughout my entire career as a New England Patriot. This is where I started my NFL career. This is just such a special place in my heart. It's going to be home forever, so it's just great to give back."

The playground will kick off the first of many celebrations for Gronkowski in the coming years with his eligibility for the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2026 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

But if Hurley could have her way, she'd see one more occasion to honor Gronkowski's career in New England.

"He loves his fans," Hurley said. "He truly cares for others. This generous gift of $1.8 million to our community shows his deep connection to New England and proves that his heart will be forever in Foxborough. And I'm going to go out on a limb here. Can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?"

Hurley got a thumbs up from Kraft at the time. Gronkowski was all for it as well.

"I like that a lot, and the reason that we're really going to do that is because of Susan Hurley," Gronkowski said.

"She wants to see that happen. She's been dreaming about that happening for a while. RKK gave her a thumbs up so we're going to make it happen in the future."