(PHOTOS) Stone Mountain’s Leila Mason Park gets a new playground
UnitedHealthcare volunteer Anne Cetoute said, “We’re having a blast,” during the new playground build at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Stone Mountain, GA — More than 100 volunteers from the city of Stone Mountain and UnitedHealthcare came together with KABOOM! on Friday, Oct. 20, to build a new playground at Leila Mason Park in the city’s Historic Shermantown community.
Stone Mountain Assistant City Manager Shawn Edmondson said the city was excited to partner with KABOOM! and UnitedHealthcare to rebuild the Leila Mason playground.
“This project is very important to the community,” Edmonson said. “We want to assure that kids have a safe playground and a safe area to come and play as a community. We also want adults to come out and participate and enjoy these social activities as a community.”
KABOOM! is nonprofit working to end playspace inequality that builds playspaces in partnership with child-serving nonprofits and municipal agencies.
In eight hours, volunteers moved over 135 cubic yards of mulch, built a stage, a chalkboard, and a directional post, and mixed and moved over 13,000 lbs. of concrete for the kid-designed playground.
Speaking to the volunteers, Stone Mountain Mayor Dr. Beverly Jones said, “This wasn’t about one person doing one thing to make one thing great, it was about a community coming together in love and connection to say that we are one.”
“We want to embrace all of you for what you have done, but more importantly, we want to remember the people that are here,” Jones said. “Leila Mason is one of the most used parks here in the city. This community is called Shermantown, and it has so much history. Some of the history is unsightly, but what we have done today, we have turned it around. We have turned hate into love. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, the city of Stone Mountain right here in Shermantown where descendants of slaves live that we are a city and community of love. I just thank you all from the bottom of my heart, each-and-every one of you.”
Leila Mason Park is located at 5510 Stillhouse Road, Stone Mountain, 30083.
UnitedHealthcare volunteer Gwen Cumming takes a short break after a long day’s work helping build a new playground at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers rinse their boots during the new playground build at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
UnitedHealthcare volunteer Biftu Bussa helps put together new playground equipment at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
KABOOM! Project Manager Second Todd Mazza puts down some concrete during the new playground build at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Sharron Hastie, Vice President, Sales & Account Management at UnitedHealthcare Small Business (center) and other volunteers give themselves a hug at the urging of city of Stone Mountain Mayor Dr. Beverly Jones after they completed work on the new Leila Mason Park playground on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Sharron Hastie, Vice President, Sales & Account Management at UnitedHealthcare Small Business (Left), and city of Stone Mountain Mayor Dr. Beverly Jones cut the ribbon for the new playground at Leila Mason Park on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
While helping move mulch for the new playground at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 12, 2023, volunteer Elaine Vaughn said, “it’s very exciting. In my hometown. Leila Mason getting a brand-new playground is very exciting.” Photo by Dean Hesse.
More than 100 Volunteers from the city of Stone Mountain and UnitedHealthcare helped build a new playground at Leila Mason Park on Stillhouse Road in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers from UnitedHealthcare work with project managers from KABOOM! to build a new playground at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Joshua Johnson (Front) and other UnitedHealthcare volunteers do the ‘Wobble’ during a break in the new playground build at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteer Bolarin Kushanu from UnitedHealthcare celebrates a hard day’s work on the new Leila Mason Park playground with some dancing on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers Carrie Williams (Left) from UnitedHealthcare and city of Stone Mountain City Council Member and DeKalb County Commission candidate Chakira Johnson mix concrete during the new playground build at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers finish up the new playground at Leila Mason Park in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers assemble swings for the new Leila Mason Park playground on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Ryan Smith, a candidate for Stone Mountain City Council Post 3 (left) and Stone Mountain City Council Member Gina Stroud Cox, who is running for reelection to City Council Post 1, put together a directional sign during the Leila Mason Park playground build on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
City of Stone Mountain Public Works Manager Wayne Lewis who along with his team worked closely with KABOOM! and volunteers on the new Leila Mason playground build said,“ I feel amazing. I’m overwhelmed seeing everybody out here. I have chills.” Photo by Dean Hesse.
More than 100 volunteers from the city of Stone Mountain and UnitedHealthcare helped build a new playground at Leila Mason Park on Stillhouse Road in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Volunteers from the city of Stone Mountain and UnitedHealthcare helped build a new playground at Leila Mason Park on Stillhouse Road in the city of Stone Mountain on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Stone Mountain is in the background. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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