Playground for kids of all ages

For most adults, when we think of a playground, we picture kids on swings, swooshing down slides and climbing all over the thing. That's how it goes on most playgrounds. Well, later this week, Cedar Rapids will get a new playground, intended for people of all ages.

Humana, the health care company where I work, is now in its fourth year of partnering with non-profit organization KaBOOM! to build multigenerational playgrounds. This fall, we'll build our 50th playground together. And KaBOOM! has built more than 2,500 playgrounds since 1996.

The playgrounds being built have all the kid-friendly equipment you'd expect. After all, we know kids use the playgrounds most. Multigenerational playgrounds also feature walking paths and fitness stations for grown-ups.

Why go with multigenerational elements? Because it's important for us to continue developing a health partnership with our friends and neighbors in the Cedar Rapids area, people of all ages. And it's critical we do our part to help adults get more physical activity to strengthen their health and well-being.

About 200 volunteers from the community, KaBOOM! and Humana come together to build these playgrounds in just six hours. That sounds unbelievable ­- until you see it happen. It's kind of amazing.

Although the playgrounds take little time to build, the memories they spark last much longer. And, they give parents and grandparents a place to take their kids and grandkids where everyone can have fun and exercise.

Along with our partners at KaBOOM! and the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department, we will build a playground this Saturday, Oct. 11, at Edward Hidder Park. Cedar Rapids thought this would be a great place to build, and we can't wait to make it happen. Parks and Recreation Department serves the entire city, and many people from surrounding communities. Cedar Rapids has been designated a Blues Zones Project Community, a community participating in a well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to environment, policy and social networks.

These playgrounds make a significant difference to the neighborhoods. KaBOOM! helps us find neighborhoods that need new playgrounds the most. Each playground is designed in part by kids who live in the area.

Earlier this summer, we started putting together plans for the playground. Asked to design their dream playground, kids drew lots of slides and monkey bars plus some non-traditional equipment - namely, zip lines, roller coasters, a haunted house, aquatic shows and an underground tunnel. We'll do our best to make the playground a place folks will love. And use.

In more than 40 cities, partnerships between KaBOOM! and Humana have sparked a 'playability” movement. The Humana Foundation supports KaBOOM!'s Playful City USA initiative, intended to spread this movement across the U.S. You can learn more at playfulcityusa.org. Meanwhile, thank you to everyone in Cedar Rapids who will work with us on Saturday, rain or shine.

' Scott Hannon is sales director for Humana. Interested volunteers can contact Gail Loskill at the Parks & Recreation Department, (319) 286-5742 or g.loskill@cedar-rapids.org. Comments: shannon@humana.com.