Playworld Systems, a leading manufacturer of imaginative playground and fitness equipment, and KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to saving play, today announced they will continue their partnership to bring engaging playgrounds to kids across North America.

“Because we believe so strongly that the entire world needs play, we are proud to support KaBOOM! in their mission to bring the joy of play to underserved communities,” said Matthew Miller, chief executive officer of Playworld Systems. “Playworld Systems is thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership and we look forward to bringing play to even more communities over the next three years.”

Since 1997, Playworld Systems has supplied playground equipment for nearly 2,000 KaBOOM! builds, helping to bring the benefits of play to communities in need throughout the country. Most notably, in June 2011 the two organizations, alongside First Lady Michelle Obama, infused new life into a vacant lot at the Southeast Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., creating a vibrant play space with Playworld Systems’ popular Challengers^® line.  In 2010, KaBOOM! utilized Playworld Systems’ equipment for two builds in New Orleans. To commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, playgrounds were built at the Forest Park Apartments and Burk Park.

Currently, only one in five children live within walking distance of a park or playground, resulting in this generation of children spending less time playing outside than any previous generation. This play deficit is having profound consequences for children physically, socially and cognitively as children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy. Through the partnership with Playworld Systems, KaBOOM! continues to advance toward achieving its vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

“We’ve been working together with Playworld Systems for more than a decade and are delighted to continue to have them as a Partner in Play,” said Darell Hammond, founder and CEO of KaBOOM!.  “Playworld Systems’ expertise in site preparation and installation, their flexibility in the face of all weather conditions, and their enthusiasm for working with our volunteers are all vital to the success of our community projects.”

Equipment manufacturers are selected as KaBOOM! Partners in Play for a three-year period. KaBOOM! selects only vendors who meet stringent guidelines.

About Playworld Systems, Inc.
For over 40 years, Playworld Systems has been a leader in creating imaginative, customized commercial playground and fitness equipment that positively impacts the health and well-being of communities around the globe. Based on the belief that The World Needs Play^®, Playworld Systems brings the joy and benefits of healthful outdoor play and exercise to people of every age and ability through such innovative product lines as PlayDesigns^®, PlaySimple^®, Playworld^®, Origins^™, NEOS^®, ENERGI^®, and LifeTrail^®.

Playworld Systems' products are made in the U.S.A. in its Lewisburg, Pa. manufacturing facility using domestic and foreign content, with a small number of parts purchased from trusted international suppliers. This multi-generational, family-owned company continues to invest significant resources to measurably reduce its impact on the environment. Its aggressive action to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has helped Playworld Systems become the first and only playground manufacturer to have its products Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM Basic. The company offers an optimal customer experience unique in the industry – from value-added services using Microsoft Tag to personalized attention through its vast network of local distributors. 

Playworld Systems has received numerous awards throughout its history, including two International Industrial Design Excellence Awards, a gold medal from International Design magazine, two News Directors’ Choice Awards on Early Childhood, and the Pennsylvania Governors’ Award for Safety Excellence. In 2012, Playworld Systems received an Evergreen Award in the sports and recreation category from the GSA Integrated Workplace Acquisition Center. For more information about Playworld Systems, visit PlayworldSystems.com.

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this Play Deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built more than 2,100 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children, particularly the 16 million American children living in poverty, get the active play they need to become healthy and successful adults. KaBOOM! has been a powerful champion for play since its founding in 1996, working with partners to build, improve, and open more than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1,000,000 volunteers and serve more than 6,600,000 children. KaBOOM! creates and catalyzes great places to play; inspires, empowers and leads play advocates; and elevates the societal conversation about the importance of play in children’s lives. For more information, visit kaboom.org/act.

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