Dream Playground Drawing Session

On Aug. 28, the City of San Bernardino, KaBOOM! and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group hosted a children’s design session at the Home of Neighborly Services. Children throughout the community gathered to draw their “dream playground”. With the ideas from these children, KaBOOM!, the City of San Bernardino, and Dr. Pepper Snapple group will try their best to implement these ideas into a new playground that will be built in one day, at 9th Street Park in San Bernardino. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that builds playgrounds for different communities around the world. With the help from Dr. Pepper Snapple group, the City of San Bernardino, they are going to make a brand new place for kids to play within the community of San Bernardino. Lauren Allen, KaBOOM! project manager, said that she has built playgrounds in Canada and Mexico, and many all across California. “This will be a custom playground. It belongs to these kids,” she shared. Christopher, one of the children at the drawing session, had many creative ideas. He wanted a dragon-themed playground. To be more specific, he shared, “I want a swirly dragon tail that’s really a slide.” Roger Conway, branch manager at Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, mentioned that they are “very involved with play.” They provide the financial means, and many volunteers to help build the playground on Oct. 15. Deb Hanson and Aviana Cerezo of the City of San Bernardino Parks and Recreation Department were passing out markers and helping kids with their drawings. They also were able to invite kids that they saw playing within the neighborhood and had them join on the brainstorming session. Starting at 9 a.m. on Oct. 15, the building of the children of San Bernardino’s playground will begin and by 3 p.m. the same day, the playground will be complete.