Yesterday, more than 200 Eau Claire residents joined UnitedHealthcare employees to help build a new playground at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chippewa Valley’s Mary Markquart Center. In May, members of the club helped to design a 3,100-square-foot playing. The design included many fun items for the kids. This includes a topsy turvy spinner, hemisphere climber, track ride and so much more. The playground is expected to reach more than 1,700 kids. It was built as a part of UnitedHealthcare’s “Do Good. Live Well” initiative.
The initiative relies heavily on employee volunteers. It is designed to help combat hunger and obesity, while inspiring service and volunteerism. Last year, the Mary Makquart Center relocated to a new facility that is significantly further away from local parks. The move ultimately made it more difficult for the facility to provide guests with outdoor experiences that encourage social and physical engagement.
The new playground will fix this problem, while providing Club members with the chance to enjoy healthy activities. During the construction process, volunteers worked closely with the national nonprofit KaBOOM!. The nonprofit organization aims to bring balance and active play to children around the country. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has helped to build more than 2,950 playgrounds. The Eau Claire playground is the 23rd created in conjunction with UnitedHealthcare. More details can be found here.
