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New playground for Chloe Clark

Part of national effort for military communities

Chloe Clark Elementary in DuPont got a new playground because of its large military population. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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April is designated as Month of the Military Child, and it was established as a way to raise awareness of the important role children play in the military community.

This week, KaBoom! and The CarMax Foundation continue their partnership in building community playgrounds, and the two organizations will host 11 community events across the country during "Week of Play."

"We are proud to be the first corporate partner with KaBoom! to make a significant commitment to bringing play spaces to military communities across the country," said Matt Aman, president of CarMax, in a press release.

To that end, Chloe Clark Elementary School in DuPont, a community with a large military population, received a new playground. The play space was designed in large part by local children's drawings of their dream playgrounds.

KaBoom! is a national nonprofit dedicated to giving children -- particularly those living in poverty -- the childhood they need through safe places to play. The organization has collaborated with partners to build or restore more than 17,000 play spaces, engaged more than 1.5 million volunteers and served over nine million children.

The CarMax Foundation provided the majority of the funding for the playgrounds and creative play sets through its work with KaBoom! in supporting the concept of children playing.

"Opportunities to play are an essential part of childhood and help kids develop resiliency and grit," said James Siegal, CEO of KaBoom! "When kids experience stress or transition in their lives, play also provides a creative outlet to help them cope and can restore normalcy and stability."

Through a multiyear national partnership with KaBoom!, The CarMax Foundation will help build 33 playgrounds and provide 32 creative play grants across the country by the end of 2018. This $5 million investment will serve thousands of children.

"We have a deeply rooted commitment to supporting our military community, so this effort aligns perfectly with our goals," said Aman.

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