Playground goes up in a day with volunteer power
| Thursday, Oct 29 2009 04:48 PM
Last Updated Friday, Oct 30 2009 08:32 AM
Images
Felix Adamo / The Californian Wearing an elephant head hat, Kern County Museum restoration supervisor Scott Fieber, checks the progress of the playground being built behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum. Approximately 200 volunteers built the park in one day
Felix Adamo / The Californian Cindy Hawkes, with the help of other hands, paints the fire station red at the new playground being built behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum. Approximately 200 volunteers built the park in one da
Felix Adamo / The Californian There was plenty of hammering, mixing, painting, and some prying, as the new playground behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center ws being built. Here Eric Morrison pulls a nail from a 4 x 4 to realign the lumber
Felix Adamo / The Californian Cindy Hawkes, with the help of other hands, paints the fire station red at the new playground being built behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum. Approximately 200 volunteers built the park in one da
Felix Adamo / The Californian Wearing an elephant head hat, Kern County Museum restoration supervisor Scott Fieber, checks the progress of the playground being built behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum. Approximately 200 volunteers built the park in one day
Felix Adamo / The Californian There was plenty of hammering, mixing, painting, and some prying, as the new playground behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center ws being built. Here Eric Morrison pulls a nail from a 4 x 4 to realign the lumber
Felix Adamo / The Californian There were plenty of wheelbarrels to transport cement to secure the play structure at the Kern Inspiration Playground behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum.
Dust lingered in the air, mounds of sawdust piled up and music blared from a DJ booth as more than 200 volunteers worked Thursday to build a playground in one day behind the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the Kern County Museum.
The project, funded mostly by Albertsons, is built by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that constructs playgrounds across the country and helps with the financing.
Children from Valley Oaks Charter School, who often visit the museum, were asked for their input in the playground's design. Autistic youth who attend an after-school class at the children's center also contributed to the design, said Kenny Altenburg, project manager for KaBOOM!.
Altenburg said KaBOOM! hopes to build 175 playgrounds this year. The playground in Bakersfield marks the 1,721st playground in the company's 14-year history.
This particular playground was built with sensory equipment to benefit autistic children, including using bright colors in the design and placing bells and other simple musical instruments on the structure, said Ramona Puget, director of the supplemental autism program at the Lori Brock Center.
Puget explained that autistic children often have trouble with social skills and fine motor skills, and this playground is designed to help them develop both.
She also said before this playground was built, the children did not have much to do outdoors at the museum.
"Now it's not just kicking a ball around. Kids want more than that," Puget said.
Lilia Rodriguez, public affairs manager for Albertsons, said the company has helped communities for the last 70 years.
Rodriguez praised the volunteers, many of whom were Albertson's employees.
"They get things done at the store and they get things done here!" she said.
Joe Biever, the store director at Albertson's Panama Lane location, said he had to turn people away as volunteers because there were so many.
The remainder of the volunteers were from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and KaBOOM!.
"It's the right thing to do. Who wouldn't want to build a playground for kids?" said Cory Nilson, 30, an Albertson's employee from Northridge.
Todd Fjeld, 47, an employee from Tehachapi, agreed.
"Community involvement is one of our core values," he said.
The playground is available to anyone who pays admission to the Kern County Museum, Puget said. It is not open to the public when the museum is closed.
