9/11/08

Kids help design playground for Tulalip Boys & Girls Club

by Beckye Randall

“I want you to close your eyes, and imagine your favorite place to be in the world,” the young woman instructed the roomful of youngsters and adults. “Who’s there with you? Is it quiet or is music playing? Are there bright colors or does it blend into the trees? Now I want you to imagine a playground right in the middle of your favorite place, and think about what it would look like.”

Eyes open, the children—and some of the adults--began to draw their visions for the perfect playground. Tire swings, trampolines, climbing walls, pools and waterfalls began to take shape in bright colors as those around the table at the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club diligently sketched playful scenes.

The exercise was guided by Natalie Proffit, a project manager with the national nonprofit organization KaBoom!, headquartered in Washington, D.C. In partnership with Home Depot, KaBoom! will lead the efforts to build a new playground in the vacant yard at the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club this November.

KaBoom! has a focused vision: building a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. As its founding national partner, The Home Depot provides financial support, materials and hundreds of volunteers for projects across the country. In fact, this spring the home improvement giant celebrated its 1000th build with KaBoom! with a playground in Marietta, Georgia.

“We’re excited to do something for the community,” said Isaac Johnson, manager of the Quil Ceda Home Depot store, which is taking the lead on the Tulalip project. “This is a great event, and our employees are looking forward to it.”

Hundreds of volunteers from The Home Depot and the local community will help with the one-day playground build, slated for November 11.

One of those volunteers will be Seahawks receiver Bobby Engram, a 2008 recipient of The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP Award, a national program that recognizes players who are making a positive impact in their local communities through charitable programs and contributions. Engram was voted the 2007 Seahawks Man of the Year for his ongoing community work.

The Tulalip playground will be built on the northwest corner of the club’s property, located at Marine Drive and 36th Avenue NW. “The site is about 50-by-50 [feet],” said Proffit, “which gives us around 2,500 square feet of play area.”

Proffit was at the Boys and Girls Club for just one day. KaBoom! project managers help local leaders organize the event and solicit input from the kids and adults who will use the playground. KaBoom! engineers use the kids’ drawings as a starting point for the playground’s design, while the organization’s online toolkit guides local communities through the details of fundraising, volunteer recruitment and planning for the playground build.

The projected cost of materials for the local project, the majority of it donated by The Home Depot, is $70,000. Since 2005 the home improvement chain has invested $25 million nationally creating and improving playgrounds, and its employees have volunteered more than 950,000 hours toward the projects. The youth and staff of the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club will raise $10,000 toward the playground cost.

“This is not funded by Snohomish County Boys and Girls Club,” club administrator Diane Prouty explained. “We’re raising our portion of the cost through community donations and fundraisers.”

To volunteer for the project or to make a financial or in-kind donation, contact Prouty at (360) 716-3400.

Karyn Zigler, a community outreach specialist for The Home Depot, summarized the company’s commitment to the KaBoom! program. “It’s all about the kids,” she said. “I can’t think of a better way to enhance the communities we serve.”

(Top photo): Ophelia Medows, Mya Jones and Stephanie Jones work to create their dream playgrounds during the Design Day event at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club.

(Bottom photo): Natalie Proffit (center) looks on as the girls design.

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