A new playground will be built at Feeney Park next month, after city officials accepted a “Build it with KaBOOM!” Playground grant, which will fund the construction of a custom-made and designed play space at the park.
On Friday, June 3, volunteers from KaBOOM! - a nonprofit organization “dedicated to encouraging active play through grace play spaces” - will team with members of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and the New Rochelle Boys and Girls Club to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art playground.
“Feeney Park is one of New Rochelle’s most historic and popular neighborhood parks,” Parks and Recreation Commissioner Bill Zimmerman said. “Thanks to our new community partnership with KaBOOM! and their partners, we are thrilled to be able to bring our master plan goal of a new playground to reality.”
With the grant secured, KaBoom! now requires 200 volunteers to assemble playground pieces, mix concrete, move mulch and other laborious tasks during the build. Those interested in volunteering can do so online.
Last month, Zimmerman and Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Lutonya Russel-Humes met with playground designers and local children at the Boys and Girl’s Club Mascaro Unit. This week, parks staff began preparing the site at Feeney Park by removing old equipment in advance of the build.
"The Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle is excited to partner with The City of New Rochelle to build a new playground for the community and our members,” Russel-Humes added. “Encouraging a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity and play is a core component of what we do at BGCNR. Ensuring that children have safe places to play makes it easier to instill that.”
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