Partners Join Forces to Create a New Playground at University Area Harvest Hope Park
Friday, Nov. 10, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
| WHAT: | More than 200 volunteers from Bank of America (@BankofAmerica), the Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball), University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc. (@UnivAreaCDC) and the community will join KaBOOM! (@kaboom) on Friday, November 10 to give area kids the childhood they deserve by building a new playground at University Area Harvest Hope Park. The design is based on children’s drawings created at a special design event in August. | |
| WHEN: | Friday, Nov. 10 | |
| 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Times approximate) |
Kick-off ceremony
Best viewing of playground construction Final construction phase Ribbon-cutting ceremony |
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| WHERE: | University Area Harvest Hope Park
13704 North 20th Street Tampa, FL 33613 |
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| WHO: | Hundreds of community volunteers | |
| WHY: | 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. It can transform children from sedentary, bored and solitary to physically, mentally and socially active. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve, filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. With its partners, KaBOOM! has built, improved and opened nearly 16,700 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 8.5 million kids (#playmatters).
This new playground will bring more than 1,200 children in Tampa one step closer to having the play-filled childhood they deserve. In building this playspace together, we are making it easier for all kids to achieve balanced and active play.
The lack of current recreational and play space in the University Area Community means that residents and their children are significantly less likely to engage in regular physical activity and build social community connections. The KaBOOM! playground in Harvest Hope Park will offer families a safe place for children to play and families to interact.
“This is more than just a playground in a park,” said Sarah Combs, University Area CDC Executive Director & CEO. “It is a sign of commitment to focus on the health and wellness of our residents, and it says that they deserve to have what other communities have. Seeing these organizations come together and invest in a community that has so little is what real partnership is all about.”
This playground will be the 8th built by Bank of America and KaBOOM! in Tampa Bay, as well as the 7th built by the Tampa Bay Rays and KaBOOM!. Through these partnerships, more children will have the joyful childhood they deserve. Bank of America and the Tampa Bay Rays support KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child’s right to active play at home, at school and in the community. |
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| VISUALS: | Before and after shots
Volunteers assembling, carrying, and installing brightly colored playground equipment Volunteers moving more than 1,200 square feet of safety surfacing by hand Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground |
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About University Area Community Development Corporation
University Area Community Development Corporation offers support for thousands of Tampa residents through youth programs, adult education and resource assistance. Its primary mission is the redevelopment and sustainability of the at-risk areas surrounding University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. For more information about University Area Community Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) public/private partnership and a designated Gold Bicycle Friendly Business, visit www.uacdc.org or call 813-558-5212.
About Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.
About the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays mission is to energize the community through the magic of Rays baseball. The organization is committed to building a strong community bond through meaningful interactions and charitable donations, and has proudly represented Major League Baseball since 1998.
About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open, or improve more than 16,700 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 8.5 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters and why cities are embracing #playability: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.
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