Big round chunks of the blue tube slide were over here. Rough-hewn pieces of the dangling "walk the plank" bridge were over there. Piles of lumber for 10 picnic benches were everywhere.

Some assembly was required.

By the end of the day Friday, several tall red poles were anchored into concrete, the slides were up and the plastic "rock climbing" wall was cemented into the ground. All that was left to do was wait for the concrete to dry.

You could almost see the children salivating.

"I think the playground is good," said Damon Nin, 9, of Clearwater.

Nin is one of a group of 30 kids who helped plan this "dream" playground.

"I hope we can play on this as soon as possible."

Tevin Ford, 9, also came to "supervise" the more than 230 Home Depot, KaBOOM! and other local volunteers who gave up a day off to build a playground.

"I think you guys did an awesome job," Ford said. "It looks good."

The builders, mulch spreaders, flower planters, carpenters, bankers, child care workers and truck drivers pulled on their work boots and put up a playground at the Clearwater YMCA.

It's part of a program coordinated by KaBOOM!, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group specializing in bringing communities and businesses together to build playgrounds across the country. Volunteers came from as far away as Sarasota and Spring Hill.

YMCA officials are glad to get the playground -- which would cost about $50,000 -- for a serious discount: free.

"This is the most perfect playground in all of the universe," Dan Vozenilek said jokingly.

Vozenilek is a membership and marketing director for the YMCA.

The playground opens today and is available only to YMCA members. It will be followed by a $3.5-million interior renovation of the Clearwater YMCA building.

Mark Stanchfield, of the Pinellas Park Home Depot, poured concrete for the day.

"Lots of it," said Stanchfield, who works in the hardware department. "It's just something to do for the community."

One of Home Depot's eight core values is to give back to the community, said Christine Jaworsky, community affairs director.

It's not just lip service, Jaworsky said. Last week, she worked so hard that she injured a wrist. A district manager for Home Depot hammered so many picnic benches together that he got a blister on his hand.

But those are small injuries to bear when children are going to benefit.

"This is something we love to do," said Chris Cook, a district manager whose office is in Tampa.

Not everyone was as used to putting things together as the Home Depot workers.

Those were folks such as Glenn Harshbargar, who works for the Richmond, Va., Estes Express Lines trucking company.

On Friday, Harshbargar traded working out delivery times for hauling sod and raking mulch across the playground.

"It's hard work, but it's worth it," Harshbargar said.

-- Adrienne Samuels can be reached at 445-4157 or samuels@sptimes.com .

Back to North Pinellas news

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Special Links

Mary Jo Melone

Howard Troxler

From the Times
North Pinellas desks