Kaboom! A Community Comes Together to Build a Playground in Chester’s Sun Village Park

It wasn’t too long after taking office in January as a Chester City councilman that I received an offer I couldn’t refuse from the Chester Education Foundation (CEF). They called to ask if the City of Chester would like to join CEF to apply for a new playground set. The answer was an immediate yes. Fast forward to last Thursday, September 29: the new playset was installed.

As the new Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Chester, I’m always looking to partner with organizations that appreciate the significance of Chester’s parks and playgrounds, and the impact they have on the health and wellbeing of all our citizens, as well as to the beautification of our city. Having this opportunity fall into my lap just weeks after taking office provided a great opportunity to test the level of cooperation Chester could get to complete this project.

I’m delighted to report that the list of organizations from our region that came together to help bring this project to fruition is long and strong. Some of the organizations who contributed in-kind services to Chester’s newest playset are: PECO Energy, Swarthmore College, Widener University, Chester Charter Scholars Academy, Chester Water Authority, The Philadelphia Union, DELCORA, Aqua Pennsylvania, COVANTA, State Correctional Institution of Chester, Pennsylvania State Police, and Countywide Transit.

Food was procured from local vendors including: Just Pizza, Pat’s Pizza, Phatso’s, KJY’s, Zac’s Hamburgers, and Divine Caterers. Other key contributors were Flagger Force; the City of Chester’s Public Works Department; Chester Police and Fire departments; Chester

City’s Mayor and Council, solicitor, receiver, and engineer; and DJ Lady Ro.

The playset project was brought to us by “Kaboom!,” a non-profit organization whose mission is to end playspace inequity. Kaboom was already familiar with Chester, having built three playsets there over the past 12-years (Chester Park, Washington Park, and 10th and Lincoln streets), but this was the first time the City of Chester applied for a grant of a top quality playset that would be assembled with the help of community partners - sort of like an Amish barn raising, except we came together to build a new playground in a neighborhood that had none. Once we were approved ahead of two other applicants, we learned that PECO Energy would be funding our playset. The City of Chester was required to provide a small financial commitment, as well as all of the logistics during the 3-day build.

PECO not only funded this project, they provided the vast majority of volunteers to construct it Two busloads of PECO employees came to Chester along with several of their linemen, who were essential to using the tools necessary to assemble the playset. Widener University provided 60 volunteers in two separate shifts who took on all tasks—including staffing the all important first aid station. DELCORA provided the tent and the water totes for concrete mixing. Chester Charter Scholars Academy students painted games on black top in the park, and State Correctional Institution of Chester inmates constructed the benches that sit around the playset.

From March to September, the planning and organizing process was in full force, as Kaboom maintains a detailed process that must be followed in order to get to the finish line. As anyone in my office can attest, there was constant communication between the City, CEF, PECO, and Kaboom in preparation for the playset installation.

What’s unique about a Kaboom playset is that community volunteers design the project, and then come together to physically construct the playsets over a threeday period. We engaged children at Eastside Ministries to select the components of the playset, and we brought the children’s ideas to the adults in the Sun Village Park community for final approval. Within days, Kaboom sent us two design choices. The winning selection is what you see in Sun Village Park today.

Personally speaking, this process is a shining example of how I see Chester government functioning in the future - with a strong desire to seek cooperation from organizations inside and outside of Chester who commit to making improvements in Chester City.

The planning, organizing, and work tasks went so smoothly that the three-day build actually turned into a two-day build. So much work was accomplished on day one that the Kaboom project manager gave us Day Two off.

There’s no way to describe the magic of build day without witnessing it yourself. The day starts with an empty 2500 square foot patch of ground, and ends with a completed playset occupying those 2500 square feet. It’s controlled chaos to say the least. Volunteers were working all over the park, and anyone who didn’t already have an assigned task jumped in where they saw fit. Somehow, it all worked beautifully. Literally, 5 minutes after the last morsel of mulch covered the cement poured in the last hole, the dignitaries spoke, the ribbon was cut, and kids started playing.

At the end of the day, we all marveled at the playset, in awe of what had been accomplished. It was an emotional experience to see all the people on site come together to complete a project for Chester citizens they don’t even know, and will probably never get to know. If we can unite to construct a playset in Sun Village, I am certain we can replicate that process for other projects throughout the city. Working together, we can transform Chester into a vision I like to call “Chester 2.0.”

“Chester 2.0” is all about partnerships and cooperation from those who want to see a better Chester. This is the direction our city is heading. This is how Chester will overcome its current challenges and obstacles to get to the next level.

I am so very grateful to everyone who came out to help us in Sun Village. If reading this makes you want to get involved with projects to help the City of Chester, please contact me directly at sroots@chestercity.com.