Cherokee volunteers make KaBOOM! history
Monday, April 28, 2008
By SUSAN STACHOWSKI
Mississippi Press

PASCAGOULA -- More than 300 volunteers showed up on the campus of Cherokee Elementary Friday morning to build the Ka-BOOM! playground, and the 8-hour workday was cut in half.

As the sun rose over the campus, activity had already begun with volunteers digging holes, moving mulch and building benches.

Justin Fitzgerald, Ka-BOOM! project manager, was amazed with the volunteer turnout and energy.

"This turnout is just amazing and so is the energy being displayed," Fitzgerald said. "I just had 145 cubic yards of mulch moved in less than an hour. That never happens. We are better than on schedule."

...

Working alongside Fitzgerald was Sarah Pinsky, director of Operation Playground. She agreed with Fitzgerald saying that even early in the morning, this was one of the fastest builds ever.

"It's not just the number of volunteers who came out today, but how hard everybody is working," Pinsky said. "We have had a lot of people come out for builds before but never to move as quickly as these are doing."

...

Read the full article
Learn more about Operation Playground

A place to play
By Matt Sloane
CNN
May 2, 2008

I had one of the most rewarding experiences of my CNN career Wednesday, and it involved 40 children, about as many parents and some homemade jambalaya at a senior center in Louisiana.

“It starts with a playground” is the slogan for KaBOOM, a national non-profit organization that builds playgrounds. KaBOOM is our newest partner in the fight against childhood obesity. For those 40 kids, and even the parents in the room, it really does all start with a playground.

...

That’s where CNN Fit Nation comes in. For us, it started with a phone call to KaBOOM, and six months later I found myself sitting at this senior center, watching the kids draw their dream playground with crayons. From those drawings, the parents and I sat with KaBOOM staffers and picked the playground equipment that best fit the kids’ drawings. Two months from now on June 28, we’ll all meet in Metairie to build it, in a shade under 6 hours.

As the parents and adults thanked me for CNN’s contribution to their community, I asked all of them for something in return - to use this new playground and to get their children moving and to teach them how to stay healthy well into adulthood.

...

Read the full article
Learn more about our work combatting childhood obesity
Learn more about Operation Playground

View photos from Design Day

Following the children’s portion, more than 30 adults from the community met to learn about the KaBOOM! planning process and sign up for committees responsible for construction, food, safety, youth involvement, and volunteer recruitment. The enthusiastic group also established the planning committee’s weekly meeting time and created their own ‘wish list’ of items for the new playground to be constructed on June 14.

Partners for this special build are the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Fannie Mae, the Foundation for the Mid South, the Hancock Housing Resource Center and the City of Bay St. Louis.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation is the administrator of the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund, which was established by Governor Barbour days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. This project is one of 17 that will be completed in the lower six counties this year using funds from the Hurricane Recovery Fund. Fannie Mae and the Foundation for the Mid South are also providing matching funds for each project. The Hancock Housing Resource Center (HRRC) is an initiative of the Hancock Community Development Foundation. The main role of the HHRC is to find ways to address housing needs in Hancock County.

“A major part of developing housing is community participation,” said Sherry-Lea Bloodworth, Director of the Hancock Housing Resource Center. “What better way to build close community ties than through a KaBOOM! playground build? I can’t think of a better way to stimulate community participation and reinvigorate weary residents as we continue to rebuild. After all, the KaBOOM! process not only builds playgrounds, it brings communities together. We are so thrilled to be partners for the KaBOOM! 100th playground.”

The first Operation Playground project took place on December 17, 2005 at Carol Vegas Park in Bay St. Louis. More than 600 volunteers gathered on that day to help build the first new playground in the Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita devastated the landscape. Since then, KaBOOM! and our partners have built 95 playgrounds in towns from Houston to Mobile, bringing play back to the lives of children living in these areas and giving neighbors old and new the chance to build a sense of community lost in the storms.

While KaBOOM! will continue to build in the Gulf after the 100th playground, this important milestone will allow us to celebrate our success with friends, draw attention to the ongoing needs of those living in the Gulf and remind people about the importance of having safe and fun places children can play.

• As planning gets underway for this important build, we want to hear from you! Share your story of how you helped bring play back to the Gulf Coast.
  
  
• Be a part of the movement and join us for this special project. Volunteer for the 100th build!
  
  
• Take a walk down memory lane with us! Check out pictures from all of our Operation Playground projects.

Learn more about Operation Playground.

It's official! The 100th Operation Playground project will take place on Saturday, June 14 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park in Bay St. Louis, fulfilling a commitment we made to build 100 playgrounds in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The project will kick off with a Design Day on Apr. 28. Our partners for this special build are the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Fannie Mae, the Foundation for the MidSouth, the Hancock Housing Resource Center and the City of Bay St. Louis.

While we will continue to build in the Gulf after the 100th playground, this important milestone will allow us to celebrate our success with friends, draw attention to the ongoing needs of those living in the Gulf and remind people about the importance of having safe and fun places children can play.

As planning gets underway for this important build, we want to hear from you! Share your story of how you helped bring play back to the Gulf Coast.

Be a part of the movement and join us for this special project. Volunteer for the 100th build!

Take a walk down memory lane with us! Check out pictures from all of our Operation Playground projects.

Learn more about Operation Playground

On March 8, New Orleans resident Linda Prout participated in her 16th Operation Playground project in the city! Linda's first build was in September, 2006, at the International School and she has been a dedicated volunteer ever since. A teacher for 25 years, Linda says she appreciates the value of play and loves seeing the playgrounds where she worked filled with joyful playing children.

KaBOOM! salutes Linda Prout for her incredible dedication to our cause. Our work would not be possible without amazing volunteers like her!

What initially drew you to the cause of playgrounds in general, and to Operation Playground in particular?
Linda: Hurricane Katrina and the flooding afterward destroyed our homes, schools, libraries, and playgrounds. For months I did not see any children in my neighborhood. But along with the devastation came the opportunity to rebuild things better than they were before. Operation Playground has been a vital component of the rebirth of New Orleans and our sense of community.

What inspired you to participate in 16 builds?
Linda: At every build I have worked with unforgettable people from KaBOOM!, the local community, and volunteers from all over the country -- like the woman from Washington, D.C. who was celebrating her birthday by returning to New Orleans to build another playground with 12 of her best friends. They inspire me to keep coming back, together with the hope of improving the lives of children in New Orleans.

What's your favorite part of a Build Day, and why?
Linda: Do I have to pick just one?

I love working with children on projects that become part of the playground, such as the mosaic stepping stones, individual paintings, or murals, because they are so proud of their work.

I love lunch! Because here that means red beans and rice, gumbo, fried chicken, jambalaya...

I love the looks on children's faces at the ribbon-cutting ceremony when they first see the transformation from grass and dirt to a beautiful finished playground, because that's like a $1 million paycheck.

Why do you believe the cause of play is important?
Linda: I was a teacher for 25 years, and I always believed that the most important teaching and best learning happened on the playground. Share. Take turns. Use your words instead of your fists. Work together to get it done faster. Stretch your muscles and your imagination.  Include everyone who wants to play. Problem solve. Pick up when you're finished. Have fun.

Do you have plans to participate in future builds? If so, which ones?
You bet! I'll be at Fannie Williams Elementary on May 17, and I can't wait to hear about the 100th build for Operation Playground. Hopefully, I will continue to help with playgrounds until every child has a great place to play within walking distance.

Learn more about Operation Playground

More than a year later, steady tears are still normal for Janet Bean.

She and John would have been married 25 years in September, but his devastating murder last year, kept the two from celebrating their silver anniversary.

"You never get over it," said Bean, as she wiped her eyes.

She also may never have closure as the murder remains unsolved.

Every day Wanda Simpson walks by the desk where her sister Vicky Lynn Stroud McGraw used to answer phones and think up new business ideas for Simpson's pool supply company.

It's been nearly seven years since Simpson's baby sister was brutally murdered and now someone else occupies the space.

Nevertheless, it will hold lasting memories of McGraw.

"Vicky was a people person," Simpson said. "She was very outgoing and full of life."

Thoughts of the murders often fuel tears of sadness for both Bean and Simpson, but on Oct. 25, it was thoughts of gratitude for the 250 or so volunteers and for country music duo Brooks and Dunn that spurred tears of joy.

See photos of the build here.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - The National Basketball Association today will announce a season-long, leaguewide community service program aimed at boosting the rebuilding effort in New Orleans in a year when the league plans to hold its marquee event, the 2008 All-Star Game, in the city.

The official announcement is expected to be made by NBA Commissioner David Stern in a news conference at Walter L. Cohen High School at 12:30 p.m. today, the same day the Hornets tip off the 2007-2008 regular season with a game against the Sacramento Kings at the New Orleans Arena.

"This program says that we're very committed to helping them rebuild and to the rebirth of the Crescent City," said Bob Lanier, a special assistant to the NBA commissioner. "The NBA truly cares. It's not just a slogan. We're committed to being difference-makers around the world."

The program will culminate with the first NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 15, an event in which more than 2,500 members of the league's representatives, including players, coaches, executives, media members and sponsors, will participate in daylong community service activities. The event will help tip off All-Star weekend in the city. The NBA All-Star Game will be played at New Orleans Arena on Sunday, Feb. 17.

SLIDELL, LA - Bonne Ecole Elementary students, parents, teachers and staff have raised enough money to build a dream playground in December at the Slidell school and are in the process of thanking their generous donors and supporters.

Volunteers from the National Guard and Bonne Ecole school community will tackle the project Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school, which had old, unsafe or age-inappropriate equipment on campus.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 3 p.m. and will feature a paper doll chain made by students, said Bonnie Ecole Assistant Principal Kellie Ainsworth.

"Everybody pitched in and did it and made it happen," she said. "We had great support, determination and team work."

BEAUMONT, TX - More than 150 volunteers Monday marked the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Rita with augers, hammers and drill bits.

Building on the prep work that began on Friday, volunteers from organizations including Home Depot, Boys' Haven and the Washington, D.C.- based nonprofit KaBOOM! worked to construct a playground at the Boys' Haven complex on North Major Drive in Beaumont.

Before quitting time at 5 p.m., passersby could see equipment including a slide, a seesaw, a monorail and "bouncing buttons" - toys that function like mini-trampolines.
 
Home Depot manager Anthony Brown, who opened the store in Beaumont, was especially proud that more than 80 of the store's employees came out on their day off.

For more on this story: http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18850015&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=8

Read another story on this build day: http://www.beaumontjournal.com/news/2007/1003/Front_Page/002.html

NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Parks and Parkways Department has partnered with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that envisions great places to play within walking distance of every child in America. They came together last week to announce that a playground is coming to Joe Brown Park.

Ann Macdonald, director of Parks and Parkways, greeted me at the event, and I met KaBOOM! members Keith Bleichmer, chief landscape architect; Christine Feller, project design manager; Alison Risso, director of communications; Joe Demile, Gulf Coast liaison; and Nell Frisbiem.

There were children there too, and Risson told them they will help design the playground. She asked them to share their ideas as to how they would keep the playground clean. We heard rules such as play safe, no eating in the play area, no littering and take turns.

The week marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and KaBOOM! is proud to say that our Operation Playground is still going strong in the Gulf Coast area. Operation Playground, an initiative to build 100 playgrounds in the areas affected by both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, has passed the halfway mark, with 59 playgrounds built so far.

KaBOOM! has also introduced the Leave a Legacy of Play Fund to include donors who want to help but can’t afford to fund an entire build.

Enthusiasts in the Chicago area will have a chance to come out and see KaBOOM! recognized on Aug. 24 as part of the “Sing Me Back Home” concert featuring the New Orleans Social Club, which includes acts such as Ivan Neville, The Meters, Raymond Weber & Henry Butler, Irma Thomas, Troy Andrews, John Boutte and Willie Tee. 

KaBOOM! will be featured as one of three non-profits at the concert, which will be held at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The organizers of the event wanted to seize the opportunity to acknowledge organizations that are constantly working to improve conditions in the New Orleans/Gulf Region. With more than half of 100 Operation Playground builds in the books, KaBOOM! certainly fit the bill! Learn more here.

Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas announced Friday that several state-of-the-art playgrounds that had been closed will reopen daily through mid-October.

In October, Vallas said he also plans to open school recreational facilities, including gymnasiums and playgrounds, during the district's extended day program, which will run into the late afternoon.

"Children in the community need access to safe areas," said Vallas, who made the announcement at a playground built by KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit, on the campus of John Dibert Elementary. "This is really a no-brainer."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     
CONTACT: Alison Risso, KaBOOM!
202-464-6186
Sarah Pinsky, KaBOOM!
312-822-5871

Fund to Build Playgrounds for Gulf Coast Kids on Make A Difference Day

Washington, DC – KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, announced today a new fund to allow individuals and organizations to contribute as little as $1000 to help sponsor a playground in the Gulf Coast.  The organization’s new Leave a Legacy of Play Fund will combine smaller donations in order to build two new playgrounds in the Gulf Coast this October.  The Fund received a major boost when Fannie Mae, as part of its ongoing commitment to help rebuild Gulf Coast communities, announced it will be a KaBOOM! Legacy Partner with an $85,000 contribution.  

KaBOOM! is pleased to announce that on May 21, we will celebrate our 50th Operation Playground build in partnership with LIVE with Regis and Kelly and Disney-ABC Domestic Television at Drew Elementary in New Orleans, LA!  Since its launch in December 2005, Operation Playground has provided more than 17,500 Gulf Coast children with great places to play thanks to the participation and leadership of more than 25,000 volunteers.  We've accomplished a lot, but there is still much more work to be done! Help KaBOOM! achieve our goal to provide every child with a safe place to play within walking distance. Donate now!

Come meet with organizers from KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! will be hosting free workshops on April 24th and 25th for all Gulf Coast organizations and individuals interested in planning and building a new playground in their community.  You will learn how to complete and submit an application to build a playground with KaBOOM!, find out more about upcoming playground build opportunities in your area, and also get more information about $5,000 challenge grants offered by KaBOOM! and The Home Depot exclusively for Gulf Coast community-build playgrounds.  Everyone who attends will also receive a FREE KaBOOM! Toolkit (valued at $79).

Find out more about dates and locations!

Seeking to give children a place to frolic as well as to help revitalize a neighborhood hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, more than 500 Georgia Tech students erected a playground Saturday in the heart of Chalmette.

"We are hoping the playground will be a point of hope and give the neighborhood a point to rally around to try to come back," said Lisa Bradway, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering major at the Atlanta school.

Since Katrina struck in August 2005, hundreds of Georgia Institute of Technology students have been sacrificing their semester breaks to participate in relief efforts dubbed "Geaux to the Gulf" and organized by the university's Christian Campus Fellowship.

LONG BEACH - Gov. Haley Barbour said Wednesday there continues to be a good stream of help coming to South Mississippi as he mingled with 250 volunteers building a KaBOOM! playground in Long Beach.

Barbour was on the Coast to see the playground being built by volunteers from the United Jewish Communities; Alpha Epsilon Pi, the Jewish Fraternity of North America; Long Beach residents; and others who participated in raising the funds and in construction.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour joined 275 volunteers for a KaBOOM! Operation Playground build in Long Beach, MS on March 14. Despite a thunderstorm that left the builders soaked, the volunteers built a beautiful playground for the community.

On Feb. 9 when they left school, there was nothing. But when Woodmere Elementary students returned to class Monday morning, there was a brand-new playground made to impress almost any child.

The entire play space was built Feb. 10 with the help of more than 400 volunteers.

"I was on cloud 59 and almost speechless," Principal Gretchen Williams said as she observed the construction Feb. 10.

At Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in New Orleans, 45 students gathered in the cafeteria late last year to design their very own "dream playground" on blank pieces of paper.

What started out as a few outlandish scribbles has turned into a beacon of hope for a city ravaged by natural disaster and crime.

The children's designs were the first step in the New Orleans "Playground Building Blitz" — a 24-hour construction project of six new playgrounds at area elementary schools — that is under way right now.

GAUTIER -- Hundreds of volunteers will hammer, haul and heave as they come together to give local children a new city park Tuesday.

With tool belts on their hips and love in their hearts, volunteers from all over the nation will construct three Habitat houses, a playground for neighborhood kids and a community pavilion complete with 12 picnic tables. The entire project will be completed in just one day.

Leading the construction effort to build the KaBOOM! playground and Habitat houses in the northern part of Gautier is Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Gulf Coast, Schneider Electric, Gautier residents and city leaders.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        

CONTACT:    Margie Hall, KaBOOM!
202-464-6165

A PLAYFUL EDUCATION: KaBOOM! HOSTS AWARD-WINNING TRAINING AND HANDS-ON PLAYGROUND BUILD IN NEW ORLEANS
KaBOOM! University of Play (U Play!) partners with Woodmere Elementary to build new playground in one day for New Orleans area children in conjunction with national training

What: The national nonprofit KaBOOM! brings its award-winning training U Play! to New Orleans on February 8-10, 2007. U Play! is a three day training conference that promotes the importance of play and provides participants the knowledge and resources needed to build playspaces such as playgrounds, skateparks or sports fields in their community. As part of the training, over 300 volunteers from U Play!, Woodmere Elementary and residents of the New Orleans area will join forces on February 10, to build a new playground at Woodmere Elementary.  The playground design is based on drawings developed by Woodmere students at a Design Day event held in December.   

December 31, 2006

Dear KaBOOM! Friends,

Just wanted to send another "thank you" your way.

The city of Pass Christian (Mississippi) has always started off the Christmas season by what is called "Christmas in the Pass," when the whole city takes part in going from shop to shop enjoying cocoa and goodies, caroling, and spreading Christmas cheer. With Hurricane Katrina washing away much of the city shops, most people thought this would be a thing of the past. With a city so destroyed, Christmas cheer was a much-needed commodity.

The first KaBOOM! build of 2007 had some special guest stars: several NBA legends and 130 NBA Cares volunteers. The Lake Forest Elementary School in New Orleans got a new playground featuring an adventure bridge, tire swing, picnic tables and benches. 

Those of us who suffered through a year of painful planning meetings sensed that it was happening, but last week we got the final word. The money is gone.

The only elements of Unified New Orleans Plan that will be funded, we're told, are "recovery" items. We can forget "visionary" items, including bike paths, playgrounds and beautification.

From South Mississippi's Sun Herald:

A playground will open in the Fort Bayou area Saturday, and it offers relief to parents in the neighborhood of about 1,500 homes that never had many safe places for children to play.

Area children helped design the playground that will be built next to Ocean Springs Hospital thanks to a donation of time, equipment and labor from about 150 volunteer workers from KaBOOM!, AmeriCares and the city of Ocean Springs, according to a news release.

City Assistant Parks and Leisure Services Director Geri Straight said the playground is a big improvement to the area.

From The Mississippi Press:

Volunteers from the city, AmeriCares and KaBOOM! will build a new playground on Saturday in the Fort Bayou neighborhood.

The playground will be built in park space adjacent to the Ocean Springs Hospital, city leaders announced in a press release issued Sunday.

"We are thrilled to receive the generous donation from AmeriCares to fund a new KaBOOM! playground on the site donated to the city by the county," said Mayor Connie Moran. "Thanks to the involvement of the Ocean Springs Hospital and Jackson County, the Fort Bayou neighborhood of over 1,500 homes will have its first playground."

GAUTIER, 11/22/06 -- Carousals and sandboxes and swings, oh my, echoed throughout the group of kids participating in the KaBOOM! Design Day Tuesday.

"I like mazes," 9-year-old Colton Samblis said as he drew his ideal maze on a KaBOOM! playsheet.

Armed with a notebook full of his own personal designs, Colton and other children helped organizers plan the KaBOOM! playground being built in Hickory Hill.

"It's not something you see at every other playground and it would make it ours," Colton said.