More than 650 volunteers gather in Bay St. Louis, Miss. to build new playground in just one day!
 

In an effort to rebuild playgrounds and restore childhoods, on December 17, 2005, KaBOOM! led its first community build playground project in the Gulf Coast since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept through the region.  The project was the first for the organization as part of a new initiative to restore playspaces lost or damaged in the storms.  

More than 650 volunteers braved the cold to build the new playground at City Park in Bay St. Louis.  The playground was the first new structure constructed in the town devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the first built by KaBOOM! in the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  KaBOOM! led and financed the community-build playground project. 

"While some might question the need to build playspaces in these areas when other needs are so great, the images of children displaced by Hurricane Katrina finding comfort in play serves as a poignant reminder that play always has a place in the life of a child--even in the worst of times," said Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder, KaBOOM!. 

"Building new playgrounds allows us to give children back their childhoods and help communities rally around something positive they can do to improve their situation.  The importance of those two things cannot be overstated." Hammond added.  

The Bay St. Louis playground effort was initiated by Bay St. Louis native Virginia Reynolds, who was just nine years old when in 1969 Hurricane Camille destroyed everything in her hometown.   In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Reyndols and two other Bay natives - Cheryl Goodnow and Joellyn Gilmore - spearheaded the project, forming Bridging the Gulf Foundation to help the city's children focus on more than mere survival.

"The children of a great storm are her most vulnerable victims," said Reynolds.  "Their homes and schools are gone or changed, spontaneous joy and optimism all but vanished.  While basic infrastructure, homes, and buildings are being rebuilt, childhoods will slip past.   It is for these reasons that the vision of a safe playground becomes more poignant, more important." 

The new community-built playground, which is made possible by funding from KaBOOM!, will provide more than 500 children a safe and fun place to play amid the debris and clean-up effort in Bay St. Louis. 

The playground build also provided a way for residents to come together and create something positive after the storm.  Mayor "Eddie" Favre, who supplied his famous jumbalaya for volunteers, observed, 'There's a lot we can't do right now, but this is something we can do.' 

Volunteers worked quickly and by 1:30 the project was complete.  "This is a really joyful moment," Goodnow said. "The interesting thing to me is, almost everyone here lost everything, and they still came out on this cold, rainy day to build their community. That speaks to the spirit of our people."

The playground's design is based on drawings of Bay St. Louis children who attended a Design Day in October.  Using the signature KaBOOM! community-build model, a local committee headed by Reynolds and Bay St. Louis resident Jimmy Loicano worked with KaBOOM! Project Manager Jane Duket to plan the new structure.   The new playground opens to the community on Tuesday, December 20. 

"Gulf Coast communities like Bay St. Louis are telling us that they want to rebuild not just physical structures, but a sense of community, added Hammond.   "With our help, they can come together to build a playground and in the process, that sense of community.  We hope that individuals and companies will stand with us and together, we can roll up our sleeves and bring play back to the Gulf Coast." 

Interested communities and companies should call 202-659-0215 for more information.