Over 100 volunteers gathered at Stan’s Park, 2235 Burr Oak Ave., in Blue Island, on Oct. 2 to help build a new community playground, a project that took over six hours and required many helping hands.

The Blue Island project was made possible by the Blue Island Park District working in partnership with a nationwide effort to end playspace inequity from KABOOM! and Foresters Financial.

The new playground includes slides, swings, a climbing wall and other structures aimed to promote childhood physical activity, community and creativity.

According to Divine McAllister, KABOOM! project manager, residents focused on creating a welcoming gathering spot with the playground.

“They wanted this to be an ideal gathering spot,” McAllister said. “They wanted some towers. They wanted to climb on ropes and on solid structures, and they wanted a really cool swing. I hope we’ve lived up to their expectations.”

Community members led the creation of the playground, from design to installation.

About two months before the build, McAllister visited a local recreation center to ask neighborhood kids to draw and describe their dream playground.

“We asked the kids, ‘If you could have anything on a playspace what would that be?’” McAllister said. “Today, you are looking at it.”

McAllister said over 120 volunteers helped with construction, including representatives from KABOOM!, Foresters Financial, Allstate Financial Services, the Blue Island Park District and area residents.

“When the community takes part in the design and build,” he said, “research shows the playground is actually going to be used and loved.”

After the build was complete, McAllister asked volunteers to raise their hands if they had helped with any other construction projects of other play spaces.

Over a dozen volunteers had helped with more than 50 playgrounds, and one volunteer had helped with over 125.

Since its establishment in 1996, KABOOM! has helped build or improve over 17,000 playspaces.

Also in attendance at the Stan’s Park construction project last week was state Rep. Bob Rita, a Democrat who represents Blue Island and the 28th District, and he witnessed the importance of connecting the community.

“You have local government working with business, working with residents, bringing people together for a project that has a great positive impact on the community,” Rita said. “The end result is a nice space for everybody to use, an improvement for the town.”

The Stan’s Park playground marked the fourth partnership between Blue Island and KABOOM!

“To be able to do four different parks here in the city of Blue Island,” Rita said, “is such a great investment for the city and them believing in making this investment.”

In a time when many communities feel fractured and divided, Rita said this effort shows the power of unity.

“It goes to show when you have your local government, your state government and your partners come together,” he said, “you get results.”

A Canadian-based fraternal life insurance organization, Foresters Financial has partnered with KABOOM!, a national nonprofit organization, since 2006. The Stan’s Park playground construction marked the 177th park on which the two organizations have partnered.

Matt Berman, president and CEO of Forester Financials, was among those helping with the construction of the playground. For Berman, Forester’s partnership with KABOOM! is about more than just “writing a check.”

“It’s about doing the actual work with the community and the folks themselves,” Berman said. “We have folks here from our board of directors. We have folks here from our executive committee. It says something that we’re taking time out of our day to be here and get our hands dirty.”

According to Ted Ruthenberg, executive director of the Blue Island Park District, before the recent playground installation, Stan’s Park had no playspace for the past five years.

“While we were building, we had neighbors stopping over, thanking us. They were excited that they don’t have to get in the car to go to another park,” Ruthenberg said. “They are excited that they can walk across the street and come to the park—that’s really what it’s all about.”