ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 people from the City of Anaheim (@City_of_Anaheim), Anaheim Family YMCA (@anaheimymca), Disney (@CitizenDisney), Disney alumni area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! (@kaboom). With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive.
“Like the Disneyland Resort, KaBOOM! playgrounds are built to be places where parents and their children can spend meaningful time together,” said Michael Colglazier, president of the Disneyland Resort. “Our Disney VoluntEARS are proud to show their commitment to the city of Anaheim by installing our ninth playground in this community.”
The plan for the playground was influenced by the experts in play, with more than 20 kids participating in a special design day event in June to create their dream play space. Their ideas and drawings were incorporated into the final playground design.
“Of all the things we do as a city, parks are what truly touch the lives of people every day,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “Parks are where families celebrate special events, kids play sport or where neighbors come to meet each other. We are working to enhance parks across our city, and thank Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, KaBOOM! and the community for partnering with us to make Willow Park even better for the neighborhood.”
“This collaborative project embodies the Y’s focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” said Rich Good, president and CEO of the Anaheim Family YMCA. “We are here today giving back because we want families to know that this community is here to help them reach their full potential.”
Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the goal of ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive because #PlayMatters. The new playground is one of many made possible with support from Disney as part of The Walt Disney Company Healthy Living Commitment, a long-standing commitment to create healthier generations by making healthy living fun and simple.
KaBOOM! works to accelerate efforts that move every child in America to play every day. Together, Disney and KaBOOM! have built more than 75 new play spaces across America giving nearly 100,000 kids access to healthier lifestyles and safe places to play and grow.
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Disney Ambassador Alexa Garcia, left, and Disney Alumni Maryann Meirowsky paint a new hop scotch court at Willow Park in Anaheim in Saturday, September 23, 2017. The park was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM!. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Rita Burns, President Disney VoluntEARS Leadership Council, installs new plants at Willow Park in Anaheim on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The park was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM!. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Anaheim City Council Member Jose F. Moreno assists Disneyland Resort VoluntEARS with the construction of a new KaBOOM! playground at Willow Park in Anaheim on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The park was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM!. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
DISNEY VOLUNTEARS HELP BUILD PLAYGROUND IN ANAHEIM – Willow Park in Anaheim was transformed into a kid-designed play space in less than eight hours with the help of close to 300 volunteers from the City of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA, Disney, Disney alumni, area residents and organizers from KaBOOM! on Saturday, September 23, 2017. With this new addition to the neighborhood, 400 kids now have more opportunities to get the balanced and active play they need to thrive. Willow Park marks the ninth Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in the city of Anaheim. (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)
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About the City of Anaheim
Anaheim is a full-service city supporting more than 358,000 residents, 20,000 businesses and 25 million annual visitors. The city provides public safety through the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire & Rescue, water and power service through Anaheim Public Utilities, parks, community centers, family services and libraries through Anaheim Community Services, neighborhood and transportation improvements through Anaheim Public Works and community revitalization through Community & Economic Development. Anaheim is a modern, diverse city with a proud history dating back to its 1857 founding. Anaheim is known worldwide as the home of the Disneyland Resort, including Walt Disney’s original Disneyland Park, as well as Angel Stadium of Anaheim and Angels Baseball, Honda Center and the Anaheim Ducks, and the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest on the West Coast. Anaheim’s thriving visitor industry and business community help support the city’s neighborhoods and make Anaheim a great place to live, work and play. For more, please see www.anaheim.net.
About Anaheim Family YMCA
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Anaheim Family YMCA was founded in 1911 and currently impacts nearly 20,000 youth, teens and adults in Anaheim, Cypress, Stanton and La Palma. YMCA programs span from early childhood education, after-school, youth sports, swim, summer camps, summer learning, S.T.E.M. enrichment, healthy living and wellness, volunteerism and community service. For more information about the Anaheim Family YMCA’s programs and resources please visit www.anaheimymca.org.
About the Disneyland Resort
Located on approximately 500 acres in Anaheim, Calif., the Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort’s three hotels are the 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the 973-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. With 29,000 cast members, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County’s largest employer and generates $5.7 billion for the Southern California economy. The Resort has welcomed more than 750 million guests since opening on July 17, 1955.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. Being a good corporate citizen is a time-honored Disney tradition. Through contributions, collaborations with local organizations, in-kind gifts and volunteering, Disney helps to brighten the lives of kids and families in need and strengthen communities around the world. For more information visit,TheWaltDisneyCompany.com/Citizenship or Twitter.com/CitizenDisney.
About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open, or improve more than 16,700 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 8.5 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters and why cities are embracing #playability: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom orfacebook.com/kaboom.
Mr. Daps is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Daps Magic! Find Mr. Daps regularly at Disneyland with his trilby and bow tie taking pictures and simply enjoying the Happiest Place on Earth. He is the weekly host of GEEKS CORNER and your reporter for all that Disney And Positive Stuff. Find videos of all of that one the Daps Magic YouTube channel. Mr. Daps is also a Brand Ambassador with Her Universe! Find Mr. Daps on Twitter,Instagram, and Threads! If you see Mr. Daps in the parks, be sure and say hi!
