The big day is here! This is the result of a lot of planning and dedication, so be sure to enjoy yourself while you're coordinating press and publicity.
Last-minute preparation Build Day Post-build
As preparations for the build intensify, your fellow team captains may be requesting extra assistance with advertising or donor recognition. Make sure that every team captain is providing a list of his or her donors and VIPs.
In addition, here are a few opportunities for teamwork:
Your team
Children's activities team
Construction team
Logistics team
Safety team
Volunteer recruitment team
Your co-chair(s) will need your help in creating a detailed site layout that shows the location of all the teams' activities. To do your part, sketch the location and orientation of media check-in (if applicable). If you have a choice of where to set up, pick a spot that is easily accessible for large vans; you'll want arriving media to be directed right to your table. Remember that reporters are extremely busy, so it's important to have someone on hand to greet them and give tours of the site.
An official playground build timetable is another way for co-chair(s) to ensure that everyone is on the same page...literally! It's essentially a script for site prep and build days, a single document that pulls together all the teams' activities and lists them in order. Your co-chair(s) will need from you a detailed PR team schedule including your team's arrival times, arrival of major media (if you know in advance), and a detailed program for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. You're almost there!
Every team needs to have a back-up plan in case of rain or other extreme weather. If Mother Nature throws a curveball, your first task is to stay positive! Your spirit and energy will reflect well on the entire project. Discuss with your team how you'll keep press kits, programs and reporters dry. Warn media in advance that this is a "rain or shine" event...in some ways, building in the rain makes for a better story! Think of rainy-day talking points, and emphasize the strength of the volunteers' commitment to play.
As you approach the build, it's your job to remind EVERYONE in town of this momentous occasion. They should be absolutely sick of hearing about it by the time it happens! Command every resource at your disposal to turn people out, even if it's only for a few minutes. Here's a quick list of to-do's:
Two weeks to go
One week to go
One to two days to go
Completing a walkthrough
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Thanks to your efforts, your community has a raised awareness about the importance of play and of civic activism. Great work! You've shown people what can happen when ordinary citizens are committed to changing their environment, and you've created a working model for future projects. To make sure that these seeds of change grow and blossom in the years ahead, we suggest taking a few simple steps toward maintaining your playspace's network of supporters:
Follow up with the media After the build, update your final press release to include fresh quotes and important happenings from the day itself, and send it to all your media contacts. You can also contact reporters who attended the build to ask them when their stories will be appearing, and to request a copy. Be sure to send news clippings to major sponsors and supporters.
Send thank-you letters Can you think of people who deserve a special thank you for their hard work and support (e.g. your team members)? Let them know! By taking the time to recognize them and make them feel appreciated, you ensure that they'll stay involved in future community projects. For many people, the thrill of participating in a playspace build is the start of a lifelong commitment to service.
Evaluate your planning process If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? What worked, and what flopped? Your experience will prove invaluable to community organizers down the road, so take the time to record your team's thoughts. (You'll find an evaluation form below.)
Contribute to a "friends of the playspace" group Your co-chair(s) or fellow team captains may be interested in forming an ongoing group to support the maintenance and programming of your new playspace. Here are just some of the ways you and your team members might contribute:
Name of Team Captain: