Thanks to all our Indiegogo donors, other private donors and corporate support from Enterprise CarShare and Mesirow Financial. We have reached our goal and we built this playground on Sunday, October 12th!
For more information, visit http://www.celebrationplayground.info/
THANK YOU!
"Kids need places to be themselves,
to hang out, jump up & say 'Yay!'
Kids need a safe place to play."
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Best friends Ariana and Marc will celebrate their bat and bar mitzvah this November at Anshe Emet Synagogue on Chicago's North Side. This coming-of-age religious ceremony includes a service project in the community. Both Ariana and Marc love to play, have spent countless hours on playgrounds, and want all kids to have the same opportunities.
Ariana and Marc want their combined Bat and Bar Mitzvah party to be a Playground Build Day. They are hoping to invite their families and friends to Bright Star Church on Chicago's South Side to build a playground in one day, from the ground up. Anshe Emet and Bright Star members will join in the Build Day, coordinated by the playground experts from KaBOOM!
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Photos from previous KaBOOM! Build Days
Why a Church and a Synagogue?
Rabbi Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet Synagogue and Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star Church met three years ago and committed to building bridges between our communities:
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Anshe Emet members came to Bright Star to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the second Inauguration of the first African-American President.
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Bright Star members came to Anshe Emet on a Shabbat morning to share in worship and sing Jewish and Gospel music together in the afternoon.
- And now, two twelve-year-old kids from Anshe Emet have inspired these two different communities to build a playground at Bright Star.
The playground build will kick off with Design Day where Marc, Ariana and their new friends from Bright Star, Christian and Desiree', will lead kids from the neighborhood to become architects of their new dream playground.
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Photos from previous KaBOOM! Design Days
The Bronzeville neighborhood...
Bronzeville neigborhood's population is 97% African American with the median household income approxiately 1/3 of city-wide household incomes according to City-Data.org. Many of the people of Bronzeville live under the fear of violence. This playground would be a part of the Bronzeville Dream Center, a place for intervention and prevention for the victims, family, friends and perpetrators of violence.
There is a play deficit in Chicago...
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Only 1 out of 5 children in the United States lives within a half-mile of a park or playground. In Chicago, this play space deficit is most pronounced in the city's lowest income neighborhoods.
And it is harming our children...
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Without ample play there are decreases in children's creativity and imagination; in vital skills including problem solving and risk assessment; in social skills; and in resiliency.
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In neighborhoods without a park or playground, the incidence of childhood obesity increases significantly.
This Playground will:
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Give hundreds of kids a great, safe place to play in Bronzeville, on Chicago's South Side.
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Build bridges between Black and Jewish communities in Chicago, following in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
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Celebrate the emergence of Marc and Ariana as Jewish adults taking responsibility for their world.
KaBOOM! will help make this happen:
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KaBOOM! is the national nonprofit working to ensure all kids get the childhood they deserve, filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive.
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KaBOOM! has built over 2,400 playgrounds, more than 100 of which are in the Chicagoland area.
How You Can Help:
Donate (and enjoy the "perks"). Donations at every level help us get closer to our goal of a building a playground on Chicago's South Side.
We need everyone to help us spread the word about this campaign!
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FAQs
Is $30,000 the total cost of building the playground?
$30,000 is approximately one-third of the total cost to build the playground. Now that we have past that initial fundraising goal we are pushing to reach the full cost of the playground from both corporate sponsorships and other private donations. If you work at or are connected to a corporation that might be interested, please let us know at CelebrationPlayground@gmail.com.
Can I note this donation on my taxes?
Absolutely! All contributions made to this campaign will be payable to Anshe Emet Synagogue and are tax deductible minus the value of any goods or services received, as permitted by law. Anshe Emet will release the funds to KaBOOM! after Design Day when the playground equipment is ordered.
What if my company matches donations? Can you receive the matching funds?
Yes! Please contact us at CelebrationPlayground@gmail.com.
What if the total fundraising goal is not met?
We have now raised enough funds through this Indiegogo site, other private donors and corporate donors to assure that WE WILL BUILD THIS PLAYGROUND!
How can I learn more about what you are doing?
We would love to connect with you! Please email us at CelebrationPlayground@gmail.com.
Thank you
Thanks to our videographer Don Krause, and an extra special thank you to our amazing video editor Melissa Sterne. And thanks to all of you for bringing the dream of this playground to reality.
