Playground of Dreams Getting a Makeover, Volunteers Wanted

It’s time to show some love to the playground that’s provided countless hours of fun for the past 20 years.

Adult volunteers are needed Saturday, April 14, to help clean the Playground of Dreams in downtown Benicia’s City Park in preparation its 20th birthday party later this month.

“It took about 20,000 man-hours to build it in 1992, and now we need just a couple dozen people to come out for a few hours to spruce it up,” says Beverly Phillips, a member of the original playground committee and an organizer of the workday. “It would be great to see some of the young adults who played there when they were growing up.”

In spring 1992, hundreds of volunteers gathered at City Park in downtown Benicia to build the playground designed by renowned playground architect Robert Leathers. The site behind the firehouse went from vacant land to a completed playground in five days.

“It was amazing to see all the volunteers working together,” says Sue Sumner-Moore, co-coordinator of the original playground committee. The New York-based Leathers organization sent supervisors, but all other labor was provided by volunteers. “There was such a feeling of camaraderie and joy as the playground took shape. It really was a lot of fun.”

Local restaurants and businesses were supportive and generous as well.  “It was rare to hear ‘No’ when we asked for things, and we asked for a lot,” says Phillips, who made sure all needed supplies were available during the build.

The city now maintains the structure, but members of the 1992 organizing committee want to make sure it looks its best for the 20th birthday party. That celebration is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at the playground, and is open to the public.

Volunteers on April 14 will repaint safety stripes and bars, sweep off decks, clean swings and other equipment, plus repaint some features.
They also will make the playground sound better by replacing pipes in the Music Wall with new, tuned pipes so more pleasing sounds will fill the air.
Volunteers are asked to arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, and should bring work gloves, brooms, rakes, a water bottle and wear sunscreen.  All tools should be marked with names and phone numbers.  

Refreshments will be provided.

The playground will be closed for the workday.

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If there’s something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor JB Davis at 707-628-0051 or email him at benicia@patch.com.