The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is inviting community members to roll up their sleeves and help transform Portville’s Lyman Baker Park into an exciting new destination for children and families.
In partnership with KaBOOM!, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Town and Village of Portville, CRCF is helping bring a brand-new, kid-designed playground to Lyman Baker Park. The project represents a shared investment in creating a welcoming, accessible place where local children can play, explore and make memories for years to come.
The playground will be built almost entirely by volunteers during a three-day community build scheduled for July 23 to July 25.
“This project is about much more than building a playground,” said Tony Evans, mayor of the Village of Portville. “It’s about bringing people together to create something that will benefit Portville families for generations. When a community comes together like this, the impact extends far beyond the playground itself.”
Like all KaBOOM! playground projects, the new play space has been shaped by community input, ensuring it reflects the needs and dreams of local children and families. Community-built playgrounds not only create new opportunities for play, they foster pride and lasting connections among neighbors.
“One of the things that makes this project so special is that every volunteer will be able to drive by Lyman Baker Park for years to come and say, ‘I helped build that.’ It’s truly a unique opportunity for people to leave a lasting mark on the Portville community,” continued Evans.
Throughout the three-day build, volunteers will work alongside KaBOOM! staff and local partners to assemble playground equipment, landscape the site, complete finishing touches and prepare the park for children to enjoy.
Approximately 100 volunteers are needed throughout the project, with the largest volunteer effort taking place on Saturday, July 25, when the playground will be finished.
Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome. Lunch and refreshments will be served.
Registration is available here: KABOOM! | Help Build a New Playground at Lyman Baker Park!
Community members, businesses, civic organizations and service clubs are encouraged to participate in the build.
Build week schedule:
- Thursday, July 23 – prep day
- Friday, July 24 – prep day
- Saturday, July 25 – Community build day and ribbon cutting
For more information and to register as a volunteer, visit CRCF’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cattfoundation.
The community celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Saturday afternoon following completion of the playground.
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids, communities, and public and private partners to transform 17,000+ playspaces, expanding access to the physical, mental, and social benefits of play for more than 12 million kids nationwide. As KABOOM! celebrates its 30th year, the organization is focused on community-driven solutions through public-private partnerships, research, policy, and advocacy to elevate the current state of our kids and center youth voice in shaping equitable access to playspaces and nature. Together with partners across sectors, KABOOM! is building the play infrastructure kids need to grow up happy and healthy for generations to come. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
