Playground Build with Monumental Sports and Entertainment and Kaboom!
Earlier this month, just in time for the new school year, with our partners KABOOM! and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, and more than 125 volunteers, WHC built a new playground at Huntwood Courts in Ward 7. Designed by the kids and families who will use it, the play area includes something for kids from ages 2-12. The new play space includes slides, climbing walls, planters, and colorful sidewalk murals that welcome children to play.
Playgrounds may seem like just a nice amenity for a residential apartment complex, but they are so much more for children, families and the community overall:
- Children burn more calories during playground play than many other types of unstructured activities.
- Playgrounds are learning environments, creating opportunities for increased cognitive development during early childhood.
- Playground play reduces stress and anxiety in children and their caregivers.
- Playgrounds are community hubs, creating spaces for children and their caregivers to come together, combatting isolation and loneliness.
- And a beautiful, well-crafted playground can be a point of pride for a community.
As the playground rose from the ground, residents were ecstatic. One man who had volunteered on the build proudly noted, “I put hands on this playground and now my niece has a safe place to play.” Another resident talked about how excited her four-year-old daughter will be when she gets home from preschool to see the playground because she helped design it.
Another resident noted that for WHC to make this build happen demonstrates that they “care about us, and it means a lot.”
Home is where we set down roots. It is the scaffolding on which we build our lives, celebrate milestones and create our futures. The new playground at Huntwood Courts adds a new third place where young and old can make memories and build social connections so vital to our wellbeing, our human development and to economic mobility.
This playground build is tangible evidence of the transformative impact of strong partnerships.
We are grateful for the support from so many including our residents, our Build partners KABOOM!, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and MSE Foundation, JBG SMITH, The Motley Fool Foundation, HR&A Advisors, ArentFox Schiff, Arnold & Porter and more for volunteering so many hours, the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards players who attended, and Ted Leonsis for his support.
It truly does take a village to build stronger and healthier communities.
See WHC social media posts about the playground build here:
Watch media coverage on DC News Now
Click right to advance photos
Photo credit: Alfredo Flores Photography
Preserving housing affordability and promoting economic mobility in the DC-region
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