By: Cherrelle Marable

More than 200 volunteers gathered to make a dream into a reality for the young children of Stoddard Johnston Scholar House this past weekend. In less than eight hours, a playground was built with the help of volunteers from PNC, Family Scholar House and the general community.

The newest addition to Stoddard Johnston Scholar House features a new playground with colorful murals, mosaics and an imagination playground that can transform any space into a whole new world of fun. The playground is intended for children age five and under.

“This playground will give our youngest scholars an opportunity to have a safe place to play and call their own,” said Kate Brackett, community integration specialist at Family Scholar House. “Play is important for the development of kid’s creativity and imagination and we are so thankful for all the people of the community who came together to help make this a reality.”

Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held a couple of months ago when local children and community leaders met to design their dream playground. The children’s drawings were used to create the final playground design.

“As a resident of Family Scholar House on the Stoddard Johnston Campus, being a part of the committee responsible for the Kaboom project was truly a blessing,” said Karli Kerr, single mother of two young daughters. “It was an amazing experience seeing the community come together in the rain to give our children the playground they deserve.”

Play is recognized as an important part of a child’s development, but is missing from many children’s lives in America. Kaboom! fights this deficiency by “constructing innovative kid-inspired playspaces, sharing their knowledge and tools, and building a national movement to save play.”

For more information on Kaboom!, visit their website kaboom.org.