NT families get creative and imagine bright futures filled with play

Kids, parents design new playground coming to Mayors Park

Kids from North Tonawanda will put crayons to paper and draw their dream playground, which will ultimately become a reality with support from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, the City of North Tonawanda, BlueCrossBlueShield of Western New York’s “Blue Fund,” and KaBOOM!. The partners recently awarded the City of North Tonawanda with a “Build it with KaBOOM!” playground grant.

Elements from the drawings will be incorporated into design options for the playground. The community will then choose the final design of the playground they will help build on Saturday, July 27, at Mayors Park. 

Design day is the first meeting that brings the community together to plan out all aspects of the project and to factor in the ideas from the kids who will benefit from the new play space. On Monday, May 13, kids will meet at the Recreation Center (383 Vandervoort St.) at 4:30 p.m. to design their dream playground. Adults and community members will participate in a planning meeting from 5:30-8:30 p.m. to incorporate the kid’s designs as they work to determine the final design and layout of the new 5,000-square-foot playground.  

This project in North Tonawanda is part of a broader, collective effort to help restore and create safe spaces for kids to play in neighborhoods across Western New York and also Southeast Michigan. As part of the Built to Play Initiative, which was funded by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, it is intended to give more kids opportunities for free play in an area of the city that is currently underserved in regard to outdoor play opportunities. The underutilized open area of Mayor’s Park is listed as a perfect location to build new, safe and creative play experience for kids living in this community, and to draw other participants to come and enjoy the play space and other amenities the park offers including fishing, a bike path, and pavilions perfect for family use.

For more information on the project, or to register to be a part of design day or build day, visit www.ntyouthcenter.com/playground.  Due to limited space, participants for design day must pre-register.