Photo Courtesy: Julie Griffith
Volunteers move a newly assembled piece of playground equipment onto David & Margaret Youth and Family Services’ new playground. The playground and related structures were organized by KaBOOM!!, funded by The Walt Disney Company, and constructed by volunteers from David & Margaret, The Walt Disney Company, Club Penguin, and the La Verne community on May 28.

La Verne – More than 390 kids now have a new opportunity to get the balanced and active play they need so they can thrive. An empty lot was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of more than 200 people from the David & Margaret Youth and Family Services, Disney and Disney Club Penguin, area residents, and organizers from KaBOOM!.

“For many years, we have wanted to have a playground where the youth we work with would have regular and easy access and where they could creatively play in a more open environment,” says Charles Rich, Executive Director at David & Margaret Youth and Family Services. “Up until this amazing opportunity we received from KaBOOM! and Disney, it has been cost prohibitive. We can’t say enough about how excited our students and clients were to be a part of building this playground for them.”

A playground is more than a playground. It’s a brain-expander, friend-maker, and muscle-builder. Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a productive adult. The design is based on children’s drawings created at a special event in March. Their ideas were then incorporated into the final playground design.

Disney Club Penguin – the number one virtual world for kids – believes that everyone deserves a safe, fun place to play, learn and grow. Since 2007, Club Penguin has donated over $12 million to projects to make the world a better place.

“We’re proud to participate in this playground build and excited to represent our Club Penguin community, which cares deeply about all kids having a safe place to play,” said Chris Heatherly, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Interactive. “A safe place to play, whether in the online world or offline, enables kids to have the freedom to be creative, use their imaginations and express themselves.”

Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the goal of ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive because play matters. The new playground is one of many made possible with support from Disney as part of the “Magic of Healthy Living,” an initiative that partners with parents to inspire kids to lead healthier lifestyles. By the end of 2015, Disney’s support will bring the magic of play to over 83,000 kids and families.

“Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a healthy and productive adult,” said Kevin Callahan, Vice President of community and engagement, Corporate Citizenship at Disney. “Disney is proud to join KaBOOM!  and accelerate efforts that move every child to play every day – at home, in school, and in the community. Together, we hope to make places to play more accessible, and inspire kids and families to stay active.”