FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Michael Fehrenbach, The Catalyst Schools, 773-897-5817,
[email protected] Mary Ann Schultz, BCBSIL, 312-653-6701,
[email protected] Alyssa Ross, KaBOOM!, 202-464-6162,
[email protected] CHICAGO CHILDREN TO DESIGN DREAM PLAYGROUND: THE CATALYST SCHOOLS, BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ILLINOIS AND KaBOOM! HOST DESIGN DAY FOR NEW PLAYGROUND WHAT: The Catalyst Schools, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, and organizers from KaBOOM! will host a design day for children at Sojourn on Monday, June 3, 2013. Children from The Catalyst Schools–Maria, will put crayon to paper and draw their dream playgrounds, which will ultimately become a reality. Elements from the children’s drawings will be incorporated into the final design for the new playground to be built on Saturday, July 20, 2013, at Catalyst–Maria. Design day will be the first meeting of the playground planning committee that will work for the next seven weeks to plan and prepare for the construction of the new playground. WHY: Today’s kids spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, emotionally and cognitively. Children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy, something KaBOOM! has been committed to since 1996. The new playground will provide more than 540 children in the neighborhood with a safe place to play. This will be a new playground for the school, as there is not currently playground equipment on-site.