The city of National City seeks volunteers to help build a new playground at Las Palmas Park, 1810 E.22nd St.
As part of a KaBoom grant, National City will get a new playground and park beautification projects.
KaBOOM is a national nonprofit that helps create places to play so that children can have a balanced and active life.
Forty volunteers are needed on Nov.8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Prep Day 1 and 20 volunteers needed for Prep Day 2 from 8 am to 4 p.m. on Nov.9. On Build Day about 200 volunteers are needed from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11.
“We are looking for youth and adults because we’re not only going to put the playground together, but we have to do these additional side projects,” said Audrey Denham, National City’s recreation superintendent. “We’re going to be building the playground, building picnic tables, benches, shape structures, we are going to be painting walls and come up with all these side projects.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Nov.11.
Volunteers must be registered at:www.nationalcityca.gov/kaboom playground or call Shannon Bullock at (619) 336-4352.
Denham said youth will not be able to help build the playground but they will be able to assist with other projects.
The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group are funding partners for the park, which provides funding for building supplies. The city only has to pay $8,500 for playground equipment, with all other equipment being paid for by funding partners.
The city held a design day with the community to explain details about the new playground. At a community meeting, community members got to pick the color of the playground they wanted as well as the type of equipment for the playground.
Denham said a playground will improve the National City community.
“It brings families together and it brings kids together,” she said. “ At the same time it gives kids a place where they can be creative and active in their community.”
The newer playground will be 2,500 square-feet, smaller than the original playground, which has been removed. The original playground was 3,040 square-feet. Denham said even though the playground is smaller the park will have picnic tables, benches, shade structures and other playground amenities.
“It’s definitely going to be an upgrade,” she said.
Denham said the old playground equipment has been removed as city staff had was identified it as a priority for replacement.“It was just really at the end of its useful life,” she said.
