Two words describe our Playmaker of the Month: Captain KaBOOM!. OK, maybe he’s not the official Captain KaBOOM! of Longview, Wash., but a close, close second!

Rich Bemm, Director of Parks and Recreation for Longview, Wash. has been a long time lead advocate in making his community a playful one. In addition to many other achievements, Longview was recently honored as one of the KaBOOM! 2007 Playful City USA communities. Longview was also a recipient of the KaBOOM! Grant Awards worth $25,000.

Rich said that his love for play comes from his father who instilled this important value in him and his siblings. “My father always instigated some type of play activity. And once we took hold of it, he would back out and let us have ownership, using our own creativity,” said Rich. A great lesson for parents, never underestimate what teaching a sport, sharing a love for dance, or sliding on a water slide can do.

As Longview Parks and Recreation Director, Rich said that he has extended his family value of play to the Parks and Recreation Department. He has worked intentionally to bring this value of play into his community family as well as his staff family. As a result, community members are committed to making play a priority. To give an example, they have upgraded their parks to create a more family-friendly environment. Rich feels that playspaces and equipment should be designed to engage both adults and children.

Why is having a playful community so important? Rich references the health and social issues that are impacting our children because of the lack of play. Play, he says, can reverse these issues. Play creates a positive experience and develops social behavior. It reduces crime. It helps children test boundaries and develop better skill sets.

If you are committed to bringing play into your community, Rich advises that your first step should be to check out the KaBOOM! website for specific information on what to do and how to do it. He added that many communities already have actions and resources in place; they simply need to organize and promote them.

(Thanks, Rich, for the kudos on the KaBOOM! website!)

As a Playmaker, Rich knows it is his responsibility to set the example. “We as advocates for play have to walk the talk. More community members can follow when they see an abundance of advocates taking action for play,” he said. He also highly recommends that Playmakers carry a kazoo at all times!

Congratulations Richard on all the amazing work you are doing as a Playmaker!