Creating Joy From The Inside, Out

New Playground In Laurel Aims To Help Challenged Youth

Front Row: Jim Adler, Marriott International, Marcia Leitch, Marriott, International, Mieka Wick, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation

Second Row: James Siegal, KaBOOM!, Debi Alexander, PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families, Piper Phillips Caswell, PHILLIPS Programs, Drew Pinto, Marriott, International

Behind group in black shirt: David Perry, PHILLIPS Programs

There’s a new state of the art playground on Whiskey Bottom Road.

The J. Williard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Marriott International and KaBOOM! have joined forces to build and open a playground for the Phillips Program for Children and Families’ Laurel School.

Phillips serves students ages 6-22 who have significant behavioral health needs and for whom school has often been a place of repeated frustration and failure.

Playgrounds promote active living and overall health yet many kids face barriers to play outdoors in this day and age.

The new playground is part of a broader effort led by the Marriott Foundation, Marriott International and KaBOOM! to ensure communities have a nice place for kids and families to convene.

In March, kids from the surrounding community came together to draw their dream playground that will provide more than 125 kids in Laurel with a safe place to play.