Playgrounds

Darell Hammond has always had a passion for making sure children had good playgrounds.

He built his first playground during his freshman year at Ripon College in Wisconsin, helping a friend's mother who was an active volunteer in the community. Then in 1995 in the DC area he read a story about two children who suffocated to death playing in an abandoned car because they didn't have anywhere else to play. It was then Darell knew he had to do something, and the idea for KaBOOM! was born.

Darell later found himself in Chicago, studying under Dr. John 'Jody' Kregzmann at the Assets Based Community Development Institute, where he fully realized the bottom-up model in which he would shape KaBOOM!

In 1995, over the course of five days and with the help of more than 500 volunteers, KaBOOM! constructed its first playground with funding by The Home Depot and Minkoff Company Inc. By 1996, KaBOOM! had built almost 40 new playgrounds.

Over the last decade, KaBOOM! has launched it programs like ESKAL8, that builds skate parks for older children, and Playfull City USA, a program designed to recognize cities that make play part of their agenda. Darell and his team now raise millions every year to renovate and build thousands of playgrounds for children who need them.

Regardless of how much success KaBOOM! has had over the last 15 years, their goal of community empowerment remains the same: to ensure that every child has at least one great place to play within walking distance.