Hurricane season 2008 has been particularly brutal to Haiti and to our own Gulf Coast. What happens during makes for compelling television. What happens after makes for real humanity.
CNN revisited the site of a playground build in Metairie, Louisiana. The cable network partnered with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to putting playgrounds within walking distance of every child in America.
Kids who play are healthier and happier. It's that simple.
The playground, built in a single day earlier this year, survived last month's encounter with Hurricane Gustav with nary a scratch. It made me wonder about another KaBOOM! project, a playground in nearby Slidell. Back in April 2007, I led one of a dozen teams that set up a playground, a mural, and three picnic tables in eight hours.
I was down in New Orleans on a "volunteer vacation." Our parent corporation, Southern Progress, generously gives three paid volunteer days a year.
The project — a joint effort between KaBOOM!, Hands on New Orleans, and corporate volunteers — took place a year and a half after Katrina. The Boys and Girls Club badly needed to redo its backyard to provide a fun and active space for children after school and on weekends.
It was a grueling but satisfying day. From hauling mulch to putting up basketball goals, from painting a mural to erecting swing sets, more than 200 volunteers scurried to have it all built by the afternoon.
Having been to New Orleans several times post-Katrina to volunteer, I have seen the desolation left behind, the critical need for parks and playgrounds, where neighbors and kids and visitors can relax. Organizations like KaBOOM! do a great job of rallying community and corporate support, all to help children play outside.
I've already missed out on one KaBOOM! build in my hometown of Birmingham earlier this year. No doubt, there will be more. I'd like to jump in on the next one.
As you consider how to help with hurricane relief, be sure to think about participating in a playground build, whether in Galveston, Texas, or just down the street. You get a workout, you get to lend a hand to your neighbors. Best of all, you get to see kids laugh, run around, be kids.
Photo: Sean Kelley
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Related posts:
- More photos from the Slidell playground build
- How you can help with hurricane relief
