A dream is now a reality for children in Surrey as their drawings were turned into a new playground last week. In less than eight hours, the play space was built at Whalley Athletic Park with the help of more than 200 volunteers from Foresters, the City of Surrey, the North Surrey Lions Club and non-profit KaBOOM!. The new playground will serve over 25,500 children and their families in the community for years to come.

“Foresters believes in providing opportunities for families to spend quality time together,” said Andrei Gornenski, Foresters Brokerage Manager, B.C. “A playground is an important piece for the revitalization of a community. Not only does it provide a first step towards keeping children healthy, but it’s a safe, central location for the entire neighbourhood to get together.”

Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held in May when local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters to design their dream playground. The children’s drawings were then used to create the final playground design.

“This renewed North Surrey playground is a great example of community partners working together to make neighbourhood enhancements for the enjoyment of children and families,” said City of Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.

“On behalf of the City of Surrey I would like to thank the North Surrey Lions Club, Foresters, KaBOOM!, and numerous local volunteers for their exceptional contributions.”

Since 2006, Foresters has invested over $7 million with KaBOOM! with almost 100 playgrounds built or planned across the U.S. and Canada. Over their 15 year lifespan, these playgrounds will provide more than 2.6 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together. Foresters is a KaBOOM! National Partner and a founding member of the KaBOOM! Leadership Circle – a group of organizations providing long-term guidance and support to KaBOOM! and its mission.