For two Alberta charitable foundations, children’s playgrounds are more than just child’s play — to a child across the world it can bring a smile to their sad faces.
That’s why volunteers with the Emmanuel Foundation (EF) and the Mary A. Tidlund Foundation are working with the City of Calgary to recycle old and used playgrounds from the city and bring them to children in other countries who haven’t even seen one before.
“When you see their faces light up and three or four hundred kids jumping on the playground — it’s amazing, there is nothing like it,” EF executive director Lyle Johnson said as he loaded a truck destined for Tobago.
Johnson helps bring old playgrounds worth $30,000 to $50,000 to developing countries like Trinidad and Kenya, but says the City of Calgary is a huge factor.
“Otherwise they would just go to waste so we thought this was a great idea. We have really hit a home run, it’s been very successful.”
