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Kids in East Austin will have a new place to play starting Aug. 10, when a kid-designed playground opens at East Communities YMCA, located at 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd., Austin.
According to the Greater Austin YMCA, the playground is free to use for both Y members and the general public.
The background
The playground was funded and built through a partnership between the Greater Austin YMCA, KABOOM! and Delta Air Lines, according to a release from the YMCA.
KABOOM! is a national nonprofit focused on addressing unequal access to playgrounds, particularly in communities of color; this year marks its 30th year of operation.
Delta has funded playground builds with KABOOM! since 2013, and this is the company's 44th such project nationwide.
The design
Per the release, the layout was informed by input from children at East Communities YMCA and the Austin Achieve afterschool program, who submitted drawings of what they wanted in a play space.
The finished playground includes slides, swings, climbing structures and a separate nature exploration area. Nearly 100 Delta employees volunteered to help construct it, the release states.
"Playscapes provide a space where kids can build confidence, create friendships and simply be kids," Shaq Brown, chief operations officer for the Greater Austin YMCA, said in the release.
What's next
The playground opens Monday, August 10 and will be open from sunrise to sundown daily.
The YMCA said the space is intended to serve families across Travis and Hays counties, where the organization already runs eight fitness centers and more than 50 licensed early education campuses.
