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(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

(Clark Curtis/For WDN)

By Clark Curtis, For the Washington Daily News

The Boys and Girls Clubs Coastal Plain, Washington Unit, is still looking for volunteers to help with the build of the new state of the art playground equipment that will be located at the clubs’ headquarters at 1089 N. Bridge Street. “We are looking for anyone who would like to be involved in virtually any capacity,” said Janèe Johnson, director of the Boys and Girls Clubs Coastal Plain, Washington Unit. “It could be anything from mixing concrete, actually helping with the build of the new playground, painting projects, etc. We will have a registration table for those with questions about what they can do. And even if folks don’t want to volunteer we encourage them to come out as well see the transformation of the back of our lot.”

 The project is a collaborative effort between the Boys and Girls Clubs Coastal Plan, Washington Unit, and Kaboom, the manufacturer of the playground equipment, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. The three day playground build will take place September 20-22 between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm. The first two days will be prep days in which the trucks will be unloaded and getting everything ready to go. The third day is when the actual build will take place. “In a matter of six hours the now vacant space will have been converted into a brand new playground, “said Jake Readinger, community engagement manager with Kaboom.. “It is so exciting to have this opportunity in Washington. We hope this is not the end, but a springboard for what community action is able to do and accomplish.”

It literally will be a community event. Local citizens from all walks of life, along with business and government leaders, will be coming together to build the much needed new playground equipment. “Mayor Sadler will be there on the actual build day making hot dogs for the volunteers,” said Johnson. “Police Chief Phil Rollinson will be there along with volunteers from the Human Resources Council. And community members who remember when the facility was the Bridge Street Recreation Center and have been wanting to see something like this happen for years.”

 As the CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs Coastal Plain, Mark Holtzman added, the project is more than just new playground equipment. “Kaboom asked us to look at the whole space in our backyard and see what we could imagine. We envisioned a community project to expand our small community garden by building more planter boxes, benches around some of the trees, some new paint for our shed and our picnic tables, new basketball goals, and even an outdoor classroom space. Local artist Yvonne Curtis will also be working with our students who will design and paint a mural on the building. In the end we are going to have a pretty special place for these kids.”

For more information about volunteer opportunities contact Janée Johnson at jjohnson@bgccp.com or 252-355-2345 Ext. 8321. Or go to https://bit.ly/3OkrOxq to register online. Interested individuals can also just show up on any of the three days to volunteer.

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