The New England Sports Network (NESN) wants to bring a new playground to Worcester and is giving the city’s children a chance to design it. NESN will develop a new playground project in Worcester at Harrington Field off Harrington Way, due to be done by next spring, according to a press release. As part of the program, NESN will hold what it calls a “Dream Day”— an event where Worcester children can provide input on what the new playground should look like, according to the release.
“Dream Day is all about sourcing what children and families in the community want in their new space,” said Casey Blossom, the senior director of marketing and communications at NESN. “Do they want more swings or slides? What colors do they want? What other fun elements can we ideate around that would make it the best experience possible? Those are the types of things we hope to answer.” Blossom told MassLive that a Dream Day date has yet to be scheduled.
The Worcester playground project marks the second playground built by NESN. Last fall, NESN partnered with the Girls & Boys Club’s Yawkey Club of Roxbury to design and build a playground that resonated with the children there, according to Blossom. “As an organization, we are big believers in the importance of play.
And the playground has given those children an outlet for fun and learning,” said Blossom. “We wanted to start expanding the footprint of our playground project outside of the Boston area. Our partnership with the WooSox, and our CEO, Sean McGrail’s, strong ties to the community as a Worcester native made it a natural fit.
” The City of Worcester, the Worcester Red Sox and the non-profit organization Make an Impact Foundation will all partner with NESN for the playground project, the press release said. NESN is currently seeking support from organizations and donations to support construction and materials for the project. Blossom told MassLive that the exact cost had not yet been determined, although a donation page to support the playground lists a $100,000 goal.
Thomas Matthews, a spokesman for Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, told MassLive there are currently 38 playgrounds in Worcester with a 39th one scheduled to be located at Tacoma Street “in the coming year.” The future NESN project at Harrington Field will be the city’s 40th playground, according to Matthews. There is already a playground at Harrington Field and Blossom said the new playground would not replace the old one.
Matthews said the city’s parks department would assist NESN with playground design, city requirements, construction requirements, community outreach and installation supervision. In a statement to MassLive, Batista thanked NESN for its investments in bringing updates to Harrison Field. “Playgrounds are essential to the community, offering a developmental space for youth to learn and play with other kids,” Batista said.
“They bring communities together to socialize, celebrate, reflect, and move. The municipality is proud to continue investing in the redesign and maintenance of our beautiful recreational open spaces throughout the city.” More Worcester Stories.
