Chicago Heights Children to Design Dream Playground

The Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and organizers from KaBOOM! will host a design day for children at HACC developments, John Mackler Homes and Sunrise Apartments on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Children from the community will put crayon to paper and draw their dream playgrounds, which will ultimately become a reality. Elements from the children's drawings will be incorporated into the final design for the new community playground to be built on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at the development. Design day will also be the first meeting of the playground planning committee that will work for the next nine weeks to plan and prepare for the construction of the new playground.

Today's kids spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, emotionally and cognitively. Children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy, something KaBOOM! has been committed to since 1996.

The new playground will provide more than 500 children in the community with a safe place to play. Currently, the children play on equipment that is about 20 years old and has fallen into disrepair. The old playground  equipment will be removed to make room for  the new equipment.

This playground will be the 19th built by KaBOOM! and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.  It is one of more than 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2013 in an effort to provide a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. The project is part of Healthy Kids, Healthy Families, a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of children through community investments by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. Healthy Kids, Healthy Families invests in non-profit organizations that encourage health education, promote physical activity, prevent and manage disease, and support safe environments for children.

 
WHEN:              Wednesday, June 19, 2013

• 2:30 to 3:30 pm                        Children designing their dream playground
• 3:30 to 6:30 pm                        Volunteers participating in planning meeting

 
WHERE:       1314 Wentworth Avenue, Chicago Heights, IL