A steady downpour and gloomy skies on Friday, Oct. 21 didn’t dampen the spirits of more than120 Duquesne Light employee volunteers as they braved the elements to build a new playground at Logan Elementary School in North Versailles. DLC volunteers were joined by North Versailles community members and Logan Elementary School staff, PTO and board members to create the new playground on school grounds. The playground marks the sixth built by Duquesne Light and KaBOOM!
East Allegheny School District has served students in the eastern Pittsburgh boroughs of North Versailles, East McKeesport, Wall, Wilmerding and the City of Duquesne for more than 60 years. Due to budget cuts, the district consolidated two of its schools: Green Valley Primary and Logan Middle School into the existing middle school building and titled it Logan Elementary School, serving grades K-6. At the new location, there was no playground and teachers often found themselves sharing classrooms. The new playground will now fill that void for more than 1,700 children from the area.
The playground design was based on student’s “wish list” drawings created as part of a special design event in August. In addition to a number of play structures, the build area was large enough to accommodate several other features, including an outdoor classroom with an 8 x 8 stage, chalkboard and 24 benches; a dual learning center with six picnic tables; and four outdoor storage cubes plus a paver pathway with accessible ramp. The district is committed to making the new playground a centerpiece of their existing and anticipated community-engagement activities.
Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve, filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. With its partners, KaBOOM! has built, improved and opened nearly 16,300 playgrounds, engaged more than 1 million volunteers, and served 8.1 million kids
Duquesne Light continues to support KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child’s right to active play at home, at school and in the community. In addition to the Logan Elementary School build, Duquesne Light has partnered with KaBOOM! to complete playgrounds in Braddock Hills, Midland, McKeesport, Coraopolis and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.