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KaBOOM!, NLC to Build Playground at Congress of Cities
by Amanda M. Straub
 Attendees at the Congress of Cities in San Antonio will have another opportunity to join KaBOOM! in building a playground for San Antonio children in just one day. The build will take place on Friday, November 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the West End Park.
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives. NLC and KaBOOM! have partnered on a series of playground builds including one last year in Orlando, Fla., at the Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center and one at the Joe Brown Park in 2007 in New Orleans. This year's build is funded by the generous support of Huggies brand.
More than 40 children from the area met with KaBOOM! and Huggies brand representatives to help dream up their ideal playspace. These sketches and ideas will be used to design the playground, which Congress of Cities volunteers will build.
The build site currently serves approximately 250 children each day and contains a multi-purpose center with a gym and activity center for the surrounding San Antonio community. The City of San Antonio is also constructing a new senior multi-purpose center, including a nutrition center for community use.
Additionally, a new parking lot and open pavilion will be constructed. The existing tennis court will be resurfaced and converted into a basketball court. Also located in the park is Parent/Child Inc., which provides Head Start, Early Head Start and nutrition services to at-risk children and their families.
Delegates at the Congress of Cities in San Antonio will have the opportunity to volunteer to participate in the playground build. Participants will not need any special skills for this build project. All they will need is appropriate clothing and close-toed shoes. Due to safety concerns, youth under age 14 are not eligible to participate.
The build site is approximately 10 minutes from the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Bus transportation to and from the build site will be provided.
Online registration for the build is available at http://report1.nlc.org/surveyor/index.php?sid=58.
KaBOOM! will recognize Playful City USA communities during a reception on Friday, November 13 and at the delegate luncheon on Saturday, November 14 at the Congress of Cities.
The Congress of Cities gets underway on Tuesday, November 10, with
Leadership Training Institute seminars and other meetings. General
session speakers include influential political author and historian
Doris Kearns Goodwin and actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr.
For more information on the Congress of Cities, or to register, visit www.nlccongressofcities.org.
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