[Durham INC] BCBSNC and Durham to Build a Playground at Burch Avenue Park - June 5

Tue May 25 11:26:24 EDT 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:           Cynthia Booth, Durham Parks & Recreation,
919-560-4355(o), 919-389-4941(c), Cynthia.Booth at durhamnc.gov

Lindsey Naylor, Duke University, 919-684-4960, Lindsey.naylor at duke.edu

Kimberley Colvin, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina,
919-765-3005, Kimberley.Colvin at bcbsnc.com

Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!, 202-464-6076, mvietti at kaboom.org

DESIGNED BY KIDS, BUILT BY VOLUNTEERS:  

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS TEAM WITH BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA,

CITY OF DURHAM, DUKE UNIVERSITY & KaBOOM! TO BUILD NEW PLAYGROUND IN
JUST ONE DAY 

WHAT:             Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC),
the City of Durham, Duke University, organizers from KaBOOM! and more
than 200 volunteers from the local community will join forces on
Saturday, June 5 to build a new, safe playground at Burch Avenue Park.
The new playground's design is based on drawings created by children who
participated in a Design Day event in April and will provide a safe, fun
environment for the children in Durham, which was recognized by KaBOOM!
as a Playful City USA community for its innovative efforts in taking
action on behalf of play.   

WHY:                The new playground will provide more than 1,300
children in the local neighborhood with a safe place to play. Currently,
the children who frequent the park only have outdated equipment to play
on, which will be removed to make way for the new playground. The
playspace is the second collaboration between KaBOOM! and BCBSNC, which
is sponsoring the playground and providing more than 100 volunteers. The
playground build is also one of more than 150 KaBOOM! will lead across
the country in 2010 in an effort to provide a great place to play within
walking distance of every child in America. 

WHEN:             Saturday, June 5

                            8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.               Kick -off
ceremony and volunteer deployment 

                            11 a.m. to 1 p.m.                  Best
viewing of playground construction

                            1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.              Final
construction phase and adjustments

                            2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate new play area

                            (Note: all times approximate)

WHERE:            Burch Avenue Park, 816 Burch Avenue, Durham, North
Carolina  27712

                            Volunteer opportunities are available. To
volunteer contact Annette Smith at (919) 560-4355 or
Annette.Smith at durhamnc.gov

WHO:                Mayor William V. "Bill" Bell (attending the ribbon
cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m.); 

                            Mayor Pro Tempore Cora Cole-McFadden
(attending the kick-off ceremony at 8:30 a.m.);

                            Brad Wilson, CEO and president, Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of North Carolina

                            Hundreds of volunteers from the community

VISUALS:          Before and after shots of the site

                            Volunteers assembling brightly colored
playground equipment

                            Volunteers moving 43,740 square feet of
safety surfacing by hand

Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground

Durham Parks and Recreation

Durham Parks and Recreation provides opportunities for the Durham
community to "Play More." The department strives to help citizens
discover, explore and enjoy life through creative and challenging
recreational choices that contribute to their physical, emotional and
social health. For more information call (919) 560-4355 or visit
www.DPRPlayMore.org.

Duke University Office of Durham and Regional Affairs

Duke University's Office of Durham and Regional Affairs works to
fulfills the university's goal of "knowledge in the service of society"
by partnering with local neighborhoods, schools and community
organizations.  In addition to overseeing the Duke-Durham Neighborhood
Partnership, the Office of Durham and Regional Affairs works with local
and regional officials to bolster the economic renewal of downtown
Durham and ensure future innovation and growth within the region.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering
innovative health care products, services and information to more than
3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of
other Blue Plans. For 76 years, the company has served its customers by
offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the
people of North Carolina through support of community organizations,
programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at www.bcbsnc.com
<http://www.bcbsnc.com/> .

KaBOOM!

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! is a national non-profit
organization dedicated to saving play. Through community building, the
company is focused on giving every child in America a great place to
play within walking distance. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has used its
innovative community-build model to bring together business and
community interests to construct more than 1,700 new playgrounds, skate
parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also
offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free
online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign
for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers - a national
network of individual advocates for play. KaBOOM! also has offices in
Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit 
www.kaboom.org.

# # #

Cynthia Booth

Public Affairs Specialist

Durham Parks and Recreation

Phone: 919-560-4355

Cell: 919-389-4941

Fax: 919-560-4021

Cynthia.Booth at durhamnc.gov

"Durham Parks and Recreation provides opportunities for our community to
Play More!"

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