Amazon Grant Puts Haverhill Community Playground Drive Near the Top

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Organizers of the Haverhill Community Playground project accepted a $150,000 check from Amazon Tuesday during a ceremony at the company’s Haverhill distribution center. The grant is a gift toward a $450,000 playground structure adjacent to Golden Hill School. From left are parent Nicole Heena, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, parents Karina Larson and Heather Heywood, state Rep. Andy X. Vargas, parent Brittany Safy, Amazon Head of Community Engagement Jerome Smith, state Sen. Barry R. Finegold, parent Katelyn Chesley, Amazon Regional Operations Leader Chris Baker, parent Darby Hery and Amazon Station Manager Martin Beck. (WHAV News photograph.)

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Thanks to a $150,000 gift from Amazon, the proposed Haverhill Community Playground is closer to reality.

On Tuesday, officials from Haverhill’s Amazon distribution center presented the playground’s organizers with the single largest check they have received towards the $450,000 project. The plan is to replace an aging play area at Golden Hill School, 140 Boardman St., with what is being billed as  “destination” play structure that will be welcoming to children of all ages and abilities.

Martin Beck, station manager at the Amazon at the Broadway Business Park, pointed out many of the employees who work in the building grew up on Haverhill playgrounds.

“A lot of our work staff have been locals of Haverhill their entire life. A lot of them have spent a lot of time in the community playgrounds like Golden Hill so this is very, very dear to us,” Beck said, as several dozen Amazon delivery trucks queued up in the background waiting to be loaded with packages.

Brittany Safy, one of six parents spearheading the playground project, said so far $415,000 has been raised towards their goal of $450,000. The plan, as WHAV reported last February, is to mount a “community build” with volunteers working over six days in October to assemble the play structures. Safy said in addition to financial support, Amazon offered to send a team of its employees to help out on one build day.

“It’s not just a financial investment. It’s an investment in our neighborhoods, in our kids, in our families and in our community so we are just eternally grateful for that,” Safy told the assembled crowd.

Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett praised Safy in particular for sticking with her vision even when fundraising fell short this spring.

“But you persevered. You set a really high bar for yourself and you achieved it which is remarkable,” Barrett said in appreciation.

An Ithaca, N.Y., company, Play By Design, designed the structure and will provide supervision during the building process. Designers interviewed Golden Hill students last year to get their ideas. The new space will have swings, two slides, three climbing towers, two obstacle courses and musical elements as well as a basketball court. The main structure will have ramps that can accommodate wheelchairs. There will be sensory panels and a quiet play area.

In addition to Amazon’s donation, the project received $25,000 each from SPS Construction and pediatrician Dr. John Maddox; $17,500 from Pentucket Bank Foundation; and $10,000 each from Monogram Foods, Team Haverhill, Reworld and B & E Family Foundation. Most of the fundraising has come through individual and small group contributions, Safy said. The group has sold engraved fence pickets and clay tiles.

After the ceremony, Safy told WHAV her group is still recruiting volunteers for the build dates, Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Oct. 25. In particular demand are those who can operate a power saw.

Artist’s rendering of the proposed Haverhill Community Playground at Golden Hill Elementary School, 140 Boardman St., Haverhill. Parents are fundraising and plan to build it in late May with more than 1,000 volunteer hours of help. (Courtesy graphic.)

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