Mayor Buddy Dyer will join more than 250 volunteers from Kool-Aid, participants from the National League of Cities 2008 Congress of Cities and Exposition, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community on Friday, Nov. 14 to build a new playground at the Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center. The playground’s design is based on drawings provided by children who attended a Design Day event in September.

The new playground will provide more than 200 children who frequent the Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center with a safe place to play. The City of Orlando was recently named one of the nation’s “Playful City USA” communities by KaBOOM! in honor of its innovative efforts in making play a priority for local children. Local officials participating in the National League of Cities’ Congress of Cities and local neighborhood and community volunteers will participate in the playground build in order improve the quality of life for Orlando’s youth.

The new playground is part of an initiative by KaBOOM! and Kool-Aid to build 24 playgrounds across the country in 2008 that will eventually serve more than 250,000 children. The playground build is also one of more than 220 KaBOOM! will lead across the country this year in an effort to provide a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.
 

• 8:00 a.m.
  • Kick off and volunteer deployment
  • Before shots of the site
• 9:00 a.m. – 10 a.m.
  • Mayor Dyer volunteering at the site and available for media
• 10 a.m. – Noon
  • Best time to view playground under construction
  • Volunteers moving 64,800 square feet of safety surfacing by hand
• 2:00 p.m. (approximate)
  • Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate new play area
  • After shots of the site

Friday, November 14, 2008