News Archive

News 2011

Best of the Fest a Success

April 2011 The final event of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival, The Best of the Fest, was dedicated to Playground Builders. The Festival has helped to contribute over $28,000 over the past three years and we hope to build on this success in years to come.

The Best of the Fest relives all the good times plus more, showing highlights from:

• Winner of multimedia extravaganza, 3P0
• Highlights from the 10 year Filmmaker Showdown Awards Gala, Film 10
• Winning film from the 72hr Filmmaker Showdown
• Winner of the new Action Sports Filmmaking competition, Intersection
• Winning slideshow of photos in the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown

News 2010

November 2010 - Keith Reynolds, shortlisted in CBC "Champions of Change" contest

We are beyond proud to announce that founder and president, Keith Reynolds, has made the top 50 from almost 2000 nominations for the CBC production, 'Champions of Change'. CBC News and Outpost, Canada's premiere adventure travel magazine, have joined forces to produce a unique program celebrating volunteerism in Canada; the program announced its 50 shortlisted nominees on November 8.

Champions of Change aims to reveal the new activism and citizenship being expressed across the country. The contest kicked off on Canada Day, 2010 when the public was invited to nominate volunteers in five categories until the end of September. In mid-November, 10 finalists will be revealed and a voting phase begun. Five finalists will eventually be honoured for doing great work here in Canada, and another five for making a difference internationally.

Keith is nominated in the International Housing and Infrastructure category. Each finalist will have an on-air video profile and a web page describing their accomplishments. The profiles will be seen on 'Connect', 'The National' and other CBC News Network programs. In January 2011, two winners — one domestic and one international — will be chosen by the Canadian public. The grand prizewinners will both receive a $25,000 cash prize for the charitable organization of their choice, while each of the eight other finalists will receive $10,000 for their charity choices.

Pique Newsmagazine Feature - October 21, 2010

Playground Builders is featured in a wonderful article in Whistler's Pique Newsmagazine this week. See Pique'n yer interest by Leslie Anthony. The article has generated lots of interest and some generous donations.

$10,000 to match all private donations!

From now until November 11, 2010, all donations to a total of $10,000 will be matched by an anonymous donor.

Already $270 has been doubled to $540. The donation is from a 6 year old girl, Sophie Kitson – instead of birthday presents this year she asked for donations to Playground Builders!

School Playground opens on International Peace Day

This playground was a gift of three young siblings, Rafael, Clara and Gabriel Gonzalez, who live in Vancouver. One day, these children may visit the playground and new friends they have not yet met.

This is the correspondence we received from the opening ceremony:

Congratulation, we had a wonderful opening of the Girls High school Park. Today, at the early in the morning we went there and took part in the arrangement of the ceremony. The school director has invited lots of other schools directors, delegation from the Ministry of Education and the General Director of the Education Department of the whole Kabul Province and Kabul city. They all came at 10:00am at the morning. The school children have worn very nice colorful clothes and they stood on the way and greeted the guest with very nice honors. The Program started at 10:30am and all the children and school director thanked HEWAD and Playground Builders of Canada for the very nice Park. Then we all went to Park and the General Education Director and I tore the Opening cloth. Then the General Director also thanked me and through me he conveyed his finest greetings and thanks to the Playground Builders Team in Canada.

At the time of the tearing the opening cloth the children made free lots of pigeons in the air and named the Park with the Peace Park. The have made lots of the doves from the papers and hanged them on the trees.

Please congratulate every one International Peace Day and pray for us to have peace in our country forever.

Thank you so much for the contributing the great work in the bringing of the peace in Afghanistan through establishment of the Peace Park.

Wish you great success in your peaceful life.

Regards,
Dr. Inayat

Location Updates

Gaza

September 2010 - A new playground for more than 1,000 children is complete at SOS Children's Village in Rafah. Working with the Canadian Revenue Agency and using secure international bank transfers, the playground was constructed from recycled materials by local manufacturers. SOS is a social welfare organization that is politically and religiously independent. Worldwide, SOS provides more than 60,000 abandoned and orphaned children with the best possible substitute for the homes and families they have lost.

Afghanistan

September 2010 - More than 100,000 Children in Afghanistan now have access to safe play! Our 27th playground in Afghanistan is now under construction.

Iraq

September 2010 - Our 13th Playground in Iraq is now under construction.

TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival, Whistler, B.C.

"Best of the Fest"- April 25, 2010

Playground Builders was named as an official charity of the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, April 2010. Over $28,000 has been raised over the last three years for play areas.

Special thanks to Sue Eckersley and all at Watermark Communications. Also thanks to the staff at the GLC. Past performers include Michael Franti, The Sam Bradley Band, The Darcy's, Shane Philip, Dave Oran and recently Wassabi Collective.

Latest Media

CBC National
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYWKPnsL6VY

PSA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx4xFidBRD8

Torch for the Truce Playground Fund, Whistler, BC

February 2010 - As the Olympic torch reaches its final destination, William Roberts is dedicating his run with the torch to bring awareness and understanding among nations. Recognizing the importance of our work to help children stricken by war, William is raising funds to build a playground in Afghanistan. Please support him in his goal by donating through Canada Helps.

News 2009

Trinity College School, Port Hope, ON

William Langford and Cal Quantrill along with 65 fellow classmates raised enough funds through a Gym-a-thon to build another playground in Afghanistan! See Helpers in Action to read more about this fantastic fund raising event.

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

Thanks to the people at Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, and their 'Charity Pot' program, Playground Builders received funding for two playgrounds. Look for the Playground Builders Charity Pot Hand and Body Cream at any Lush retail outlet.

Cornucopia

As the official Charity for Cornucopia, Whistler's Celebration of Food and Wine, we raised enough funds for five new playgrounds! Our heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers and Silent Auction Donors who helped make these playgrounds happen.

Working Tour of Afghanistan and The Middle East

In the fall of 2009, at their own expense, Directors Kirby Brown and Keith Reynolds travelled to visit playground sites and our playground partners abroad. In addition to visiting our recently constructed playgrounds and finding sites for new ones, Kirby and Keith delivered books and letters from Canadian children to Afghan children in our playground areas. While making important connections, Kirby and Keith are pleased to report that all of our playgrounds are being happily used by thousands of children impacted by war.

Please view the slideshow from the visit.

Support from the Governor-General

Playground Builders received a wonderful letter of support from Canada's Governor General, Michaelle Jean.

Governor General's Letter

Exciting new projects in Iraq and Afghanistan

"The most dangerous area in the world" is how President Obama described the area where a new playground is currently under construction in North Eastern Afghanistan. The current violence has slowed down the construction at times but has not stopped the children's wishes to play. All over Afghanistan, millions of girls have come back to school since the fall of the Taliban government. Two new playgrounds are nearing completion for a total of eight playgrounds within the last year. We have had reports that because of these new opportunities for socialization and play, more children are now coming to school. Playground Builders recently completed a large playground and our first soccer field in the largest school in Afghanistan where nearly 14,000 girls and 300 teachers rotate in three different shifts per day. We look forward to facilitating at least five more playgrounds in conflict areas in Afghanistan before the end of 2009.

Since 1980, perhaps a million children have died in Iraq from the direct result of war. Last year our first playground was completed in Baghdad. It is shared by both Sunni and Shia children. In a fantastic spirit of cooperation, the community volunteered to prepare the playground site and plant grass. Our playgrounds include park benches so parents and grandparents can meet and enjoy the gift of watching children playing. Recognizing that play is an important part of dealing with psychological trauma, Playground Builders has completed a playground for over 1,000 Iraqi children orphaned by war. The opening of a new playground is a community event complete with ribbon cutting dignitaries, face painting, music and celebration. We are also happy to report that playgrounds #9 and #10 in Iraq are underway in two kindergartens for hundreds of little ones.

The Story of the Orphan Girl from Baghdad

It might seem like the work of Playground Builders is worlds away. But thanks to the digital age there are many moments, like this one, when we hear back from our friends overseas. We get to share in the stories of the playgrounds through letters, pictures and videos. Please enjoy this letter sent from the principal of a school in Iraq where a playground was built. This principal writes to us on behalf of an orphaned girl, whose name is Zainab, about her thoughts on the new playground.

Letter from an Orphan Girl - August 2009

'Some Thoughts on the Beginnings of Playground Builders' by the Founder, Keith Reynolds

I don't know when the "penny dropped". After more than 20 years of research and visits to the Middle East, I realized that the most marginalized members of society in these areas of conflict are the children – and they are the future. By holding the future in their hands, it struck me that children are the only hope for peace. Perhaps it was the 14 year-old Palestinian boy I held who was wounded by some kind of bomb and later died. Perhaps it was the 14 year-old girl who was shot to death because she wandered too close to a "security" fence. Or it may have been the 12-year-old Iraqi boy working to feed his family by dismantling downed Iraqi jet fighters. Traveling to Afghanistan for the first time, I witnessed children growing up without childhoods. No matter which region, I realized it doesn’t matter to a child who is right or who is wrong. We can feed, clothe, shelter and educate these impoverished children but do they have childhoods?

It started with two playgrounds. In three years, we are close to completing forty. The philosophy of win/win is multiplied over and over again by a simple investment in the future of these countries suspended in war. A playground is a tangible process for peace. Happier children can transfer play and socialization and the lessons learned through play to their adult lives, and to the governance of their communities. Our dream is many more playgrounds, creating many more childhoods.

Afghanistan. Two more playgrounds are underway in areas outside Kabul. These areas are in extreme conflict. Letters arrived from children in Kabul. They were distributed to Spring Creek Community School in Whistler. Children in Afghanistan learn English in the fourth year of studies. This connection with children half way around the world is an exciting experience. See Afghanistan locations.

Iraq. Two more playgrounds at kindergartens are underway. See Iraq Locations.

Whistler Blackcomb Foundation: Whistler Blackcomb Foundation has donated $5,000 to facilitate the construction of a new Playground. Whistler imports players and is now exporting play!

See Helpers in Action for the latest updates.

Iraq. A playground for orphans has just opened. See Locations.

Squamish Rotary. We are pleased to accept a cheque of $6,000 from the Squamish Rotary. This donation from the dedicated Rotarians will support happy childhoods in Afghanistan.

YMCA International Peacemaker Award Nomination
Playground Builders is honoured to have been nominated for the YMCA International Peacemaker Award. This award is presented to individuals and groups working with an international community for a world based on equality, justice and peace.

TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival: Official Charity Playground Builders was named as an official charity of the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, April 2009. Over $10,000 was raised for future play areas. Special thanks to Sue Eckersley and all at Watermark Communications, the staff at the GLC, the artists from the festival, The Sam Bradley Band, The Darcy's, Shane Philip, Dave Oran and all the dedicated volunteers of Playground Builders.

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