‘Play Space’ Event in North Shore Needs 400 Volunteers
An ambitious playground-building program, launched by California First Lady Maria Shriver in memory of Cesar Chavez, will visit the community of North Shore on Saturday, March 29.
In celebration of Cesar Chavez Day 2008, Shriver and CaliforniaVolunteers are building 10 new community play spaces that will serve thousands of children. Assisted by more than 3,000 volunteers, the initial build took place today, March 19, with the remaining nine builds taking place on March 29.
“I am thrilled that together with CaliforniaVolunteers we are building a safe and inspiring place for children to play while at the same time teaching them the immeasurable lesson of service,” said Maria Shriver. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez than to pass on his message of service and selflessness to the children of our communities.”
The ten “play space” initiative was launched by Maria Shriver at the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (South Los Angeles) today, March 19. The remaining nine, including North Shore’s, will occur on March 29. Locally, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, Coachella Valley Recreation and Park District, and many community volunteers have long planned this event.
Some 400 volunteers are needed to construct the new playground at North Shore . . . and your help—expert or not—is welcome. The North Shore playground will be built at 70505 Miramar Drive in North Shore.
Volunteer registration will begin at 7:30 am with breakfast and opening ceremonies. Lunch will also be provided. For more information or to volunteer, call Britni Edwards at 347-3157 ext. 227 or Britni.Edwards@cvhc.org.
More information (including directions to North Shore) can be found at: Learn about KaBOOM Here
About the organizations involved:
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the past decade, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,100 new play grounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including a website and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, California.
CaliforniaVolunteers is the state office that manages programs and initiatives to increase the number of Californians involved with service and volunteering, including the state AmeriCorps program, California Citizen Corps and the Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning. Through the innovative Web site, CaliforniaVolunteers.org, individuals and families can find more than 40,000 volunteer opportunities throughout the state involving the arts, education, animals, disaster preparedness, the environment and other areas of interest. Karen Baker, the nation’s first state cabinet secretary of service and volunteering leads the organization and First Lady Maria Shriver serves as the honorary chairperson. For more information, please visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org
For more info on the Coachella Valley Recreation and Parks District, go here: CVRPD, and for more on the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, click on this: CVHC.
