NewsRays help kids design dream playground
Collaboration with YMCA, KaBoom begins with day of funBy Bill Chastain / MLB.com
10/22/09 6:37 PM ET
RIVERVIEW, Fla. -- YMCA Camp Cristina had a vibrant feeling Thursday afternoon.Rays personnel and the cheer team hosted activities for youngsters, who will be the recipients of an initiative by the Rays, Tampa Metropolitan YMCA and organizers of KaBoom that will see a playground built before their eyes on Dec. 4 at YMCA Camp Cristina in Riverview.
"The kids have been so excited about this," said Suzette Armatas, vice president of marketing and communications for YMCA Camp Cristina. "They were getting all of the cheer team's autographs. They were just so excited about it."
Once the outdoors activities wrapped up, Thursday's "Design Day" allowed the youngsters to put crayon to paper to draw their dream playgrounds, which ultimately will come to fruition. Elements from the children's drawings will be incorporated into the final design for the community playground to be built at the YMCA. Design Day also facilitated the first meeting of the playground committee, which will work for the next six weeks to prepare for the construction.
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 community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,700 playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America.
Rays employees get a paid day off once a month to do community service. More than 200 Rays employees will use their day in December to volunteer and help build the playground along with YMCA volunteers, all under the supervision of KaBoom.
"It's another investment we're making in our region," Rays team president Matt Silverman said. "It's great to be able to provide a safe place for kids to play and an asset for the community. We hope it's the first of many of these ventures. This one will be the product of our employees to actually put something in the ground."
The playground will be completed all on Dec. 4, which Armatas said can have a dramatic effect on the children.
"At the end of the day, the whole playground is built, and they feel like they've accomplished something, that they've been part of the process," Armatas said. "What's going to be nice about it, is hopefully the Rays are going to have some ownership to it, because they are connecting. And we'll have some ownership, because we'll be very proud of it, too."
Anyone wishing to volunteer with the project can contact Suzette Armatas at sarmatas@tampaymca.org.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
