A new playground and garden were built last Friday in Wai‘anae, the community where Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i, will begin welcoming guests on August 29, 2011. Disney VoluntEARS joined in this local construction project with community residents, volunteers from Ka Waihona o ka Na‘auao Public Charter School and organizers from KaBOOM, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing play spaces for children throughout the country. The entire project was completed in a single day.
The playground includes a garden, so children can grow healthy food and get hands-on education about nature, sustainability and nutrition. As part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living initiative, Disney is contributing more than $1 million in 2011 to help KaBOOM build playgrounds and educational gardens in communities across the U.S., inspiring kids to make healthy lifestyles fun.
The children of the Wai‘anae community actually took part in the design of this playground, meeting at a Design Day in February to draw pictures of their dream play area. The drawings were used to create the final design. The new playground will provide a safe place to play for more than 500 children in the community, as well as a recess play area for the children of Ka Waihona o ka Na‘auao Public Charter School, which had no playground prior to this.
It looks like the kids and volunteers have created a great play area. What would you put in your dream playground?
Comments
Nice way of keeping with the Aloha spirit. I too will be visiting Oahu before Aulani opens. Will there be a visitor center open in early June?
Mahalo – Paul
Aloha, Randal and Paul.
Until Aulani opens to guests on August 29, your best way of previewing the resort would be to visit the Disney Vacation Club Sales Center, currently located in the Ko Olina Station commercial center right across the street from the Aulani site, at 92-1047 Olani Street. Suite 201C, Kapolei, HI 96707. (The Center will relocate to resort property sometime on or about August 1.)
Our Cast Members can tell you more about Aulani and show you what’s to come. Adults can also tour the model room located inside Aulani. Sorry, but because Aulani is still under construction, we cannot allow children into the model room, but we have plenty of Disney fun to occupy them during your tour. You can call in advance for an appointment at 808-674-6400.
Wonderful thing for Disney to do to help the community.
I was also wondering:
We’ll be on the North Shore of Oahu this summer (before Aulani opens). Is there any part of the grounds open (visitor center) that our family can see while we are there?
Thanks
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