What does the word KaBOOM! sound like to you? To me, it sounds like excitement, and activity, and impact! KaBOOM! has brought all of those things to kids around North America. In 2005 they introduced an initiative called Operation Playground to build 100 playgrounds in the Gulf Coast, to help with the recovery process of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So far, KaBOOM! has built 59 playgrounds in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana through this program.

Let me introduce myself.  My name is Hannah, and I have been an intern at KaBOOM! for the past week. I am 14 years old, and I’m going into my freshman year at Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD.
My mother works at Fannie Mae, who is a great funding partner of KaBOOM!.  During the past week I’ve really gotten an understanding of how much all the people here work to make sure playgrounds are built. I know how complicated it is to keep track of all our clients, and I appreciate the work and effort put into each and every case. I love working at KaBOOM! – the people here are exceptional, and I hope they let me back in next year!

There are so many people, adults and children alike, who are affected by their new playgrounds. These playgrounds help build and rebuild communities, and they also help communities recover from disasters. Children can play off their worries in their new playgrounds, and parents can thrive on their children’s happiness. Also, 96% of pediatricians say that socializing and playing in an unstructured environment helps kids develop social skills and build confidence.

Building the playground itself is a wonderful experience as well. It gets hundreds, sometimes thousands of people together, to build an intricate, colorful, and fun playground in just ONE day! This one day of building is shared by funding partners, parents, and people who live in the area. It’s a great day to bring people together, and share the joy of making folks cheerful once more.

The vision of KaBOOM! is: A great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. I admire this dream immeasurably, and I hope that one day, KaBOOM! will achieve this glorious feat.

More about the author…
My favorite pastimes include reading excessively, writing stories, playing with my English springer spaniel, Riley Bear, and wasting away my life on the computer. I have a brother named Matt, whom I enjoy pestering. I also have best friends named Claire and Justine who are utterly insane.

I love kids, and would love to work at KaBOOM!, if only my life ambition wasn’t to be a veterinarian. I love animals, and I horse-back ride, and ice skate for sport. I don’t compete, or anything, but I’m sadly lacking in sportsmanship skills, so instead of soccer or baseball, I ride and skate.

My favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Mary Balogh, Stephanie Meyer, and Jean Ferris. My favorite series include Harry Potter, The Uglies Trilogy, and The Twilight Saga.