Park District Opens New Signature Playground at Washington Park Funded by Parkways Foundation
Release Date: 10/18/08
Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners President Gery Chico today joined the Parkways Foundation and community members to dedicate a new state-of-the-art playground and to celebrate Halloween at Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr.
“This new playground provides a safe area for our children to play, and it also educates them on the rich cultural history of the Bronzeville community,” said Mayor Daley.
“Accessibility is one of the Chicago Park District’s core values, and this new playground is fully accessible, allowing children of all abilities to play together,” said Commissioner Chico.
Parkways Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the Chicago Park District, raised more than $700,000 in private funds to build the playground. The playground has soft surfacing and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that allows children with disabilities to enjoy the playground.
The playground also pays homage to Bronzeville’s cultural history through a timeline that highlights significant contributors and events in the neighborhood. Parkways and the Park District held numerous meetings with community leaders and artists to ensure that the playground met the neighborhood’s needs and reflected its history.
The signature playground was made possible through proceeds from the 2005 and 2006 Lollapalooza festivals as well as the Foundation’s 2005 and 2006 Garden Party benefits. The unique design also features tiles painted by children at the Lollapalooza festival’s Kidzapalooza area as well as children in the Park District’s after school scholarship program.
“The completion of this playground would not have been possible without the collaboration of the community and the generosity of our donors,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Tim Mitchell.
Donors to the Washington Park playground include Lollapalooza and C3 Presents, Charter One, Motorola, Chicago Magazine, and the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust.
The dedication ceremony treated community residents to a Halloween celebration with refreshments. The Chicago Park District’s Halloween activities are sponsored by Walgreens.
Mayor Daley cut the ribbon for the Washington Park playground with Gery Chico; Tim Mitchell; Denise Stefan, Parkways Foundation President; and Washington Park community members.
Parkways Foundation is the philanthropic partner of the Chicago Park District. Since its inception in 1994, Parkways Foundation has been funding park projects all over Chicago. The Foundation has raised millions of dollars toward historic preservation and restoration, programming initiatives and environmental enrichment.
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