Date: June 29, 2009
Contact: Maureen O'Leary, Director of Public Information
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail <news@nas.edu>
Academies Staff Build Playground for D.C. Center
Volunteers from the National Academies, KaBoom!, and the D.C. Developing Families Center, which offers care to hundreds of women and their families during pregnancy and early childhood, worked together over the weekend to build a playground at the center in Northeast Washington, D.C. The project, called Science Swings, is part of the National Academies' effort to connect with the local community.
“It is perfect weather for build day,” said KaBOOM! project manager Natalie Proffit as she kicked off the daylong event. Over 200 volunteers moved 170 cubic yards of mulch, which will provide a safe surface in the play area. Purple, orange, and yellow playground equipment, selected by the center's children, was assembled and grounded with 15,000 pounds of concrete mixed by the volunteers. Also constructed were 1,200 feet of iron fencing, eight benches, four planters, two arbors, and one peace pole inscribed with "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in eight different languages.
Thrilled about getting a new play space, Linda Randolph, director of the Developing Families Center and a member of the Institute of Medicine, said, “Physical exercise is important. This playground provides a place for the children to exercise.”
The day included fun and entertainment as well as manual labor. Nearby, children who were watching the play equipment being erected cooled off under a 20 foot arc of water sprayed from a fire truck. DJ Rough (Derrick Stewart) played a thumping music mix to keep the volunteers moving. At one point, two dozen people stopped working to dance the Cupid Shuffle.
In just seven hours, there was a new playground. The ribbon cutting invoked a cheer and many thanks. After the concrete dries in about three days, the playground will be ready for action.
The National Academies and their staff donated funds and time to build the playground, whose design is based on drawings provided by children. To see photos, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/aardmark/DFCPlaygroundBuild?feat=directlink#
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org.
DEVELOPING FAMILIES CENTER INC.
The DC Developing Families Center promotes the empowerment of low-income families through the collaboration of three nonprofit service providers: the Family Health and Birth Center, the Healthy Babies Project, and the United Planning Organization's early childhood development program. It is the first collaboration model of its kind to offer continuous, uninterrupted care, including health care, pregnancy and HIV testing, parenting education, social service assistance, nurse home visits, and day care. More information is available at http://www.developingfamilies.org.
KABOOM!
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995 KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields, and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications, and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit http://www.kaboom.org. |