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Just add kids: Volunteers construct Bozeman playground in under 4 Hours

Posted at 6:45 PM, Aug 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-18 20:45:02-04

BOZEMAN, Mont.- On Saturday, volunteers traveled from all over the state to help build a kids playground in less than four hours in Bozeman.

About 100 volunteers gathered on the open space on Baxter Lane, soon to be Bozeman’s Sport Park, pulled on their gloves and started constructing a kid’s playground specifically designed for Bozeman.

Each year, as a part of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana’s Healthy Kids Initiative, a park is built in a different city in Montana. This year, the company decided to build one in Bozeman with the help of the national non-profit KaBOOM!.

“The more we can get kids active, living healthy lifestyles,” said Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana’s Communications Director Jesse Zentz. “Doing healthy things, being active outside. Whether it is playing soccer on the fields that are being put in here or lacrosse, or playing on the playground while their siblings are playing soccer, that is what we enjoy and that is what we want to see the kids doing and whatever we can to do help make that happen we are happy to do that.”

Back in June, KaBOOM! asked local residents what they wanted to see at the park. The non-profit later picked three winning designs were crafted into a blueprint for the builders.

Once all the parts were purchased, about a hundred volunteers put together the park in 3 ½ hours.

“It is definitely something we are celebrating,” said Playground Site Manager Grace Moore. “We completed our playground here in record time and had volunteers from all over the state of Montana to put together this brand new playground.”

“But to see it go up in one day and that’s all because of this amazing community,” said Bozeman Parks & Recreation Director Mitch Overton.

Even though the park is completely finished, mulch and all, it will not be accessible to the public until the Sports Park surrounding it is finished.