On Thursday, November 2, a small army of volunteers assembled at our Ewing Park campus to make dreams come true. Nearly 200 people, spanning businesses and organizations across Nashville, came together for one common cause: to build a playground at our Ewing Park campus. And it all happened in less than eight hours.
“It’s amazing to see how it all comes together,” remarks Keri Kennedy, a volunteer who works at FedEx Ground. “Everyone is helping each other, working together to make this build happen.”
Even though the actual build occurred in one day, the design and planning process began months ago, with the help of a grant through KaBOOM! and support from the Nashville Predators Foundation.
In August, students at KIPP Nashville College Prep Elementary School and KIPP Nashville College Prep got the chance to put their imaginations to the test and design their dream playground. From monkey bars to slides and swings, their drawings would ultimately bring this playground to life.
“It’ll be great to know the kids can have a place to play, that makes you feel good,” adds Jenna Peterson, who works with LP Building Products.
This is Peterson’s second KaBOOM! build, and this year, she brought eight of her colleagues along for the fun.
“I like to help with the community, and I’m involved in a very proactive department where we like to do helpful things,” Peterson adds. “Last year was an awesome experience. It’s really fun to meet people from the community and different companies.”
Up until this point, students had recess outside, but there was no play structure for them to use.
Now, there is a brand new playground, an outdoor classroom complete with chalkboards and benches and planters.
Shanera Williamson says she wanted to give back to the community, because, “It made me reminiscent when I was a kid. An elementary school playground is where bonds form – that’s where you decide who your friends are. I don’t even know these kids, but I want to help create an environment for them to play. I feel like we just set the table, so to speak, so that they’ll be able to linger and be kids.”
We are grateful to all the volunteers and community partners who worked so hard to make this playground a reality!
Special thanks to: KaBOOM!; Nashville Predators Foundation; Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation; Burr & Forman LLP, Jackson National Life Insurance Company; MAPCO Express; LP Building Products and Hunt Brothers Pizza.
