150 Volunteers Built a New Playground for the Local Boys & Girls Club in Jackson

Date: 11/16/19

150 Volunteers Built a New Playground for the Local Boys & Girls Club in Jackson
In six hours, volunteers built a playground based on drawings from local children

JACKSON, Miss. – Nov. 16, 2019 – On Saturday, local health insurance company Ambetter from Magnolia Health joined the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi (BGCCM), national nonprofit KaBOOM!, and volunteers from across Jackson and beyond to build a brand-new playground at BGCCM’s Capitol Unit club in just six hours.

The BGCCM Capitol Unit club offers a safe haven for hundreds of children across Jackson by providing after-school programming and summer camps. However, the club previously didn’t have its own playground, and that created challenges for providing children with an accessible outdoor location to play. Thanks to more than 150 volunteers, the BGCCM Capitol Unit club now has a kid-designed, state-of the-art play space that will contribute to year-round active play.

The new playground features swings, monkey bars, a slide, climbing wall, and more, and it also complies with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The new playground also enhances the range of club programs and services offered to young people to help them succeed in school, develop leadership skills, and maintain healthy lifestyles.

“The Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi – Capitol Unit is well-known in the Jackson community for providing education and engaging programming for children, and ultimately helping them achieve their potential,” said Aaron Sisk, president and CEO, Magnolia Health. “This playground will enhance their ability to empower local children, and we are proud to help support that very important mission.”

KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit dedicated to creating safe places to play. They helped organized the build, which was sponsored by Ambetter from Magnolia Health and supported by the BGCCM. In partnership with KaBOOM!, Ambetter from Magnolia Health and the BGCCM Capitol Unit club worked together to collect input from local youth and families on the playground design, encouraged community interest and involvement in the build, and prepare for the build. The partnership is an extension of Ambetter from Magnolia Health’s commitment to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time, by actively participating in the community and promoting overall health and wellness.

“We improve the lives of the youth we serve by doing whatever it takes to build great futures,” said Penney Ainsworth, president and CEO, Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi. “This playground will help us do just that by giving children in Jackson a safe and accessible place to learn and grow. As we always say: ‘Great futures start here.’”

This playground is part of a broader effort led by Ambetter and KaBOOM! to ensure local communities have great play spaces for kids and families to live active, healthy lives. Ambetter has previously partnered with KaBOOM! to build playgrounds in Missouri, Georgia and Florida.

“All kids deserve places to grow, explore and just be kids,” said Lysa Ratliff, vice president of partnership development, KaBOOM!. “We are grateful to our partnership with Ambetter from Sunshine Health that will help make play the easier choice for kids and families.”