A dream that has been a wish for five years at the Tulalip Boys &Girls Club came true last month, in brilliant green, white and blue.
The new playground was built nearly one month ago, and it quickly became the place to be seen after school, said Josh Fryberg, a teen program manager at the club.
“We have anywhere from 230 to 270 kids a day, and the majority of them are out there,” he said.
The club raised $10,000, and was given $90,000 from KaBOOM, a national nonprofit group dedicated to giving kids a safe place to play. KaBOOM has build more than 1,500 playgrounds since 1995, and each one was completed in just one day. The Tulalip Boys &Girls Club playground was no different.
Nearly 300 volunteers gathered on Nov. 11 to smooth the ground, set in swings and slides and arrange picnic tables and benches. Seattle Seahawks star Bobby Engram worked on the project as a “special builder.”
The club is across the street from Tulalip Elementary School, Fryberg said. Kids from the club often tried to sneak across the street in the past for a round on a swing or a trip down the slide at the school. Now, the kids can stay on club property, and club workers don’t have to worry about children getting hit by cars as they try to sneak across the street, Fryberg said.
“This playground has been thought of for the past five years,” Fryberg said. “It’s been a long wait, but now it’s good.”
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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