City selected as Build it with KaBOOM! community partner

GREENVILLE, SC – The CarMax Foundation and KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, have awarded the City of Greenville and the Community Foundation of Greenville a Build it with KaBOOM! Playground Grant for a new playground at the David Hellams Community Center in the Greenline-Spartanburg neighborhood. The grant includes the support of an experienced project manager, who will provide guidance and best practices based on the KaBoom! community-build model, and will work with the City, the Community Foundation and residents of all ages from surrounding neighborhoods to design, plan and build their own unique playspace. In addition to the technical support, the grant also provides funding for the playground equipment, as well as site enhancements to transform the area around the playground into an inviting space for the whole community.

The project scope includes a planning process, which will kick off with Design Day on September 10. Design Day will consist of a youth session, where neighborhood children will have an opportunity to describe their dream playspace, at 4 p.m.; a site walk at 5 p.m. and a community session for adults at 6 p.m. Representatives from the City, KaBoom! and the CarMax Foundation will take the input received during Design Day and design a playground that incorporates the children’s ideas. Once the design is finalized, the project manager will order the equipment and work with the City on site preparation. The process will conclude with Build Day on November 4, where community volunteers and CarMax employees will work together to build the playground in one day.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the City of Greenville Parks & Recreation Department at 467-4355.