The context
The city donated playground structures from seven McKinney-area parks that will be reused in Zambia, Botswana, Romania and more overseas communities, according to the release.
The Houston-based Project Playground organization repairs and repurposes U.S. playgrounds that would otherwise be demolished and installs them in developing communities around the world, according to its website.
“Part of our mission as the Parks and Recreation Department is to connect people to spaces that allow them to build strong relationships, improve overall well-being, and foster inclusiveness,” Parks and Recreation Director Michael Kowski said in the release. “This is a tangible way we can use our resources to do that not just in McKinney, but in another part of the world.”
The details
The playground structure formerly found in east McKinney at Fitzhugh Park along with five swings from Fitzhugh Park and McKissick Park were installed in early 2023 at Nakowa Primary & Secondary School in Zambia. The school serves 1,400 students and has seen increases in attendance since the playground was installed, according to the release.
“Following the addition of a playground on our property, we have noticed that school children come earlier than usual to school just to have more time to play. It has improved attendance and punctuality in schools where we hardly have any absenteeism,” an employee of the Nakowa Primary & Secondary School said in the release.
Other playground structures will also be relocated.
- The play structure from Eubanks Park is headed to Romania.
- The swings and play structure from Finch Park will be relocated to Botswana.
- Playground structures from Hill Top Park, W.B. Finney Park and Serenity Park will be refurbished and reinstalled in other overseas communities.
For more information on Project Playground, visit www.projectplayground.us.
