Designed by Kids, Built by Volunteers

North Berwyn Park District, Berwyn Development Corporation, Mothers on a Mission, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and KaBOOM! Saving play building new playground in just one day for children

WHAT:
More than 200 volunteers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the North Berwyn Park District, the Berwyn Development Corporation, Mothers on a Mission, Inc., organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community will join forces on Saturday, Oct. 8 to build a new playground at Berwyn Gardens that will serve children of all ages and abilities. The new playground’s design is based on drawings created by children who participated in a Design Day event in August.

WHY:
Today’s kids spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This Play Deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically as well as mentally and socially. Children desperately need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. For 15 years, KaBOOM! has been fighting the Play Deficit and saving play by ensuring there is a great place to play within walking distance of every child.

The new playground will provide thousands of children in Berwyn with a safe place to play. Prior to the project, children living in the neighborhood did not have a place to play within walking distance.

The playground project is one of nine playground builds taking place in 2011 and is part of “Healthy Kids, Healthy Families,” a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of at least 1 million children through community investments by Health Care Service Corporation and its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. “Healthy Kids, Healthy Families” invests in non-profit organizations that encourage health education, promote physical activity, prevent and manage disease, and support safe environments for children.

The playground is the 12th built by KaBOOM! and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois in an effort to fight the Play Deficit and save play and is one of more than 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2011 in an effort to provide a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

WHEN:

WHERE:
Berwyn Gardens
North of 22nd Street between Grove Ave. and Kenilworth Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402

WHO:
Hundreds of volunteers from the community

VISUALS:
Before and after shots of the site
Volunteers assembling brightly colored playground equipment
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground