Creekside neighborhood builds state-of-the-art playground in one day

Hansen Playfield in the Creekside neighborhood got a major facelift last week when approximately 250 volunteers joined together to install brand new play equipment. The 2,500-square-foot area also got an overall cleaning, fencing repair and the installation of some garden beds.

Volunteers were gathered from within the neighborhood as well as from Home Depot and KaBOOM, a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure that every child in America is within walking distance of a quality play area.

Located near St. Martin's Church on Drexel, Hansen was outfitted with antiquated play equipment until the City of Detroit recently removed it in anticipation of the arrival of the new equipment. Despite the equipment's age, the neighborhood kept the area up by picking up litter, trimming the grass and keeping it painted.

Since it was already important to the community, Creekside Community Development Corporation executive director Karen Brown says it was easy to garner support for the volunteer day, which took place on August 6. "It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun," she says. "Thursday was a really special day and the playground is a really special place."

Source: Karen Brown, Creekside CDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh