Imagined by Our Children - Built by Community Volunteers
It's time to get the kids off the couch, out the door and moving...Our youngest citizens need exercise! Currently there are not enough places in our City for kids and their families to play in a safe, interactive environment. The Playground by the Sound Committee wants to help solve this problem. We are raising funds to build a safe, fun, top-quality play structure in the North Meadow of the Chambers Creek Properties (near 48th and Grandview).
Last Spring, primary school students from schools throughout the community helped design the playground during Design Day. A professional playground designer from Leathers Associates spent a full 12-14 hour day with kids in University Place, talking with them about their ideas and dreams for the "best playground ever." The week prior to Design Day, students were also asked to put their ideas for the playground on paper. Hundreds of drawings were given to the designer to help provide inspiration for the various playground components.
Designed for children ages 2-12, the playground includes swings, slides, a giant tree house, climbing walls, a shark tunnel, a mountain maze, a sea life box, a clam shack, a springy whale, and of course our very own Galloping Gertie bridge. In addition to kid-defined really cool play structures, the kids incorporated maritime and avian wildlife and themes that capture this region's distinctive spirit and history.
The playground will have 12,000 square feet of fenced play area. Engineering drawings and materials for the structure will cost about $175,000. Construction of the structure will require 750+ community volunteers working together in an intensive one week of building. This unique project will provide a much-needed playground for families throughout the community to enjoy the Chambers Creek experience to its fullest in a safe, fun environment.
What can you do to help?
Join Our Team! The Playground by the Sound Steering Committee meets the third Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at the Environmental Services Building at 9850 64th St. W. in University Place.
Volunteer! We need over 750 volunteers to help construct the playground during a one-week build phase in May 2011. Both skilled and unskilled workers are needed to make this project happen. There is a job for every ability and talent!
Donate! $175,000 in donations are needed in order to transform our children's dream of a Playground by the Sound into a reality. Your donations will help pay for a structure that is not only safe, but that also fosters good health and smart play. The project will use top-quality, recycled, kid-safe materials so that the Playground can be built to last.
Please help make the Playground by the Sound a reality by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Playground by the Sound Project, c/o the Chambers Creek Foundation. Join your neighbors in creating this lasting gift to your family and community.
Thank you for your generosity toward the children and families of University Place.
For more information about the project, and to fill out volunteer and donation forms:
www.playgroundbythesound.org.
Become a "Fan" of the Playground by the Sound by visiting us on our Facebook page!
Watch the Design Day presentation (26 Mb)