Vinton Baptist Church to Unveil Kid-Designed, Community-Built Playground with Virginia Foundation for Health Youth and KABOOM! to serve the Town of Vinton
This is part of a nationwide effort led by KABOOM! to end playspace inequity – the reality that far too many children do not get the chance to play on a playground, something that should be part of every child’s life.
WHEN:
October 25-27, 2023
Volunteer Information and Registration
October 27:
8:00 a.m. – Volunteers construct playground
2:30 p.m. – Playground completion and unveiling ceremony
WHERE:
Vinton Baptist Church
219 E Washington Ave.
Vinton, VA 24179
(Between Vinton Baptist Church and Lotz Funeral Home along S. Poplar Street)
WHAT:
This playground will yield remarkable program benefits for BGCSWVA. We cater to a diverse group of youth who gather at VBC for after-school and summer activities, and the establishment of a secure, well-equipped playground will offer them a safe and enjoyable outdoor recreational space.
For more information, please visit kaboom.org.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Community volunteers, including individuals from VFHY, VBC, BGCSWVA, and the Town of Vinton are building a playground that will spark joy and foster a sense of belonging for all kids in Vinton. This is part of a nationwide effort led by KABOOM! to end playspace inequity. The reality is that far too many children do not get the chance to play on a playground, something that should be part of every child’s life. Their work is to ensure every kid can experience thenumerous physical, social, and mental health benefits of play regardless of background or where they live. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, the five-year initiative to accelerate efforts towards achieving their mission to end playspace inequity for good across the United States. This project represents progress in ensuring every kid has a place to play, providing a state-of-the-art playground for the more than 600 children living in the area to enjoy each year.
VBC decided to construct a community playspace on a portion of its church property that has been vacant for 20 years. The church partners worked closely with the Town of Vinton and BGCSWVA – specifically the Vinton Club – and look forward to “expanding its church beyond four walls.”
The project is a part of VFHY’s commitment to empower Virginia’s youth to make healthy choices by reducing and preventing youth tobacco and nicotine use, substance use, and childhood obesity. To learn how partners can join KABOOM! in their efforts to end playspace inequity, visit kaboom.org/25-in-5.
###
About Vinton Baptist Church
Since 1892, God has blessed Vinton Baptist Church with opportunities to minister to the Vinton community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, our country, and around the world. VBC is a moderate Baptist church, aligned with the Baptist General Association of Virginia and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, with a three-fold mission: to obey God’s great commandment – “love God and love people”; to follow God’s great commission – “go and make disciples of all nations”; and to build God’s Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” Learn more at www.vintonbaptistchurch.org or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.
About the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
Established in 1999 by the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) empowers Virginia’s youth to make healthy choices. VFHY takes a comprehensive approach to prevention work, including reaching about 50,000 children each year through classroom-based prevention programs in public schools, after- school programs, community centers, daycares, and prevention programs across the state. VFHY’s award-winning marketing campaigns deliver prevention messaging to over 500,000 children annually. In addition, VFHY’s research program provides scientific insight into methods to reduce tobacco use effectively. Since 2002, VFHY has funded 40 large research projects at universities throughout Virginia.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to build or improve 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the crucial benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia (BGCSWVA) serves more than 1,000 youth annually at 11 regional Club locations. Established in 1997, BGCSWVA provides high-yield, accessible youth development programming after school and during the summer. BGCSWVA exists to enable all young people, especially those with the most need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Learn more at www.bgcswva.org or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.