Fun in the sun for kids
| July 8, 2009 | 6:30 PM
More journal entries from Tillie Fong »
Think of it as a modern-day version of barnraising: More than 200 volunteers plan to build a playground — complete with swing sets and slides — in a Denver park within six hours next Thursday.
“It’s going to be a lot of sweat, a lot of effort but a lot of fun,” said Denise Perez, aide to Denver Councilman Paul D. Lopez.
The playground, which was designed by neighborhood kids, will be installed in a small city park at Knox Court and West Kentucky Avenue.
It will be the third of seven playgrounds being built nationally by the Mutual of Omaha Foundation and KaBoom! a nonprofit organization that promotes creating safe places for children to play.
The playground’s features were decided during a Design Day held in May at the nearby Owens branch of the Girls and Boys Club. Kids were asked what they would like to see in the playground, and architects came up with three designs. The kids voted on which they liked the best. About 50-60 young people are expected to help with the building effort next week.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided to the volunteers, as will materials. And, “we’re hoping to have a live radio broadcast to keep people motivated,” Perez said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., but children won’t get to use the new playground until July 17 since the equipment needs time to set securely.
While they’re waiting, though, they could take advantage of another city program for youths: free swimming at Denver Recreation Center pools.
Thanks to a donation of $150,000 from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation, kids ages 17 and younger can swim for free at the city’s 16 outdoor pools. The program started June 26 and will run through Aug. 15.
“The goal is to give kids in Denver a healthy alternative to just hanging out with nothing to do,” said Jill McGranahan, spokeswoman for the Denver Parks and Recreation department.
The fee waiver covers the open swim only; there is still a charge for swim lessons and other aquatic activities.
Last year, Denver offered the free swim program for the first time, and it was a huge success, generating 214,740 visits by kids to city pools, an increase of 98 percent over the same period in 2007.
McGranahan said preliminary figures for pool visits this year won’t be available until the end of July, but if this heat wave continues, expect a lot more people to take advantage of the program.
For more information on pool locations and hours, go to www.denvergov.org/recreation/SwimmingPools/tabid/430450/default.aspx
councilman Paul D. Lopez, Denver Recreation and Parks, KaBoom!, Mutual of Omaha, playground, pools, recreation center, swimming, volunteers, youth
