Contact: Daniel A. Washington                                                     
Cell: (313) 522-6816
Email: hello@nwgoldbergcares.com
Website: nwgoldbergcares.com

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/10/2021

REST & RIDE PARK TO TRANSFORM TO INSPIRE PLAY

NW Goldberg to benefit as a first time winner of The Play Everywhere Design Challenge 

Detroit, MI – Recently, KABOOM!, the national non-profit working to end playspace inequity for good, and the Built to Play Initiative, supported by Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, announced the winners of the Play Everywhere Design Challenge. 

“Play Everywhere projects are all about meeting kids and families where they are by infusing play into every corner of the community,” said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!. “Spaces where kids can run, jump, interact and explore are essential for kids’ health and wellbeing, particularly in neighborhoods that otherwise lack safe spaces for recreation and play.”

NW Goldberg Cares, a first time winner, will receive $64,000 tol create a public and permanent installation to infuse play into its REST & RIDE PARK located on the corner of Ferry Park and Linwood in the NW Goldberg. 

The park will transform into the REST. RIDE. PLAY PARK this fall. 

“We are overjoyed to be bringing a play park to life at the corner of Linwood and Ferry Park this summer,” said NW Goldberg Cares Director of Programming Jordan Yagiela. “The children in our neighborhood have lacked a designated play area for almost a decade, and we are so grateful to Kaboom and the Wilson Foundation for trusting us to bring this resource to life for our kids.”

The play and transit centric park is the first of its kind and will be a new safe space for play in more than a decade in the predominately African American neighborhood. The grassroots non-profit was the only Detroit-based entity to be selected out of the 19 recipients. 

The Play Everywhere Design Challenge, now in its third iteration, invites communities to submit creative ideas that help make play more accessible to families—particularly those living in neighborhoods that have experienced significant disinvestment. The Challenge awards a total of $1 million for projects across Western New York and Southeast Michigan.

“We are continuously inspired by the level of creativity that Play Everywhere projects display, especially during these unprecedented times,” said Jim Boyle, Vice President of Programs & Communications, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “Now more than ever, it’s important that kids have safe spaces to play in their communities and we’re proud to be a partner in this work.”

About NW Goldberg Cares:
NW Goldberg Cares, a community development corporation located in the heart of Detroit’s NW Goldberg neighborhood, aims to improve the lives of residents in the predominantly African American community by incubating neighborhood businesses, building a strong community and ensuring a family friendly neighborhood. For more information visit www.nwgoldbergcares.com. 

About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation:
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.'s devotion to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his Buffalo Bills franchise. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson requested that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. The Foundation has a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson's desire for the Foundation's impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

About KABOOM!:
KABOOM! is the national non-profit that works to achieve playspace equity. Kids who don’t have access to play miss out on childhood and are denied critical opportunities to build physical, social and emotional health. And all too often, it more deeply affects communities of color. So we amplify the power of communities to build inspiring playspaces that spark unlimited opportunities for every kid, everywhere. KABOOM! has teamed up with partners to build or improve 17,000+ playspaces, engage more than 1.5 million community members and bring joy to more than 11 million kids. To learn about our goal to end playspace inequity for good, visit kaboom.org and join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom, facebook.com/kaboom, and instagram.com/kaboom.

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