North Omaha Boys & Girls Club unveils new playground built by 100 volunteers

OMAHA, Neb. — One hundred volunteers came together at the Boys & Girls Club in North Omaha for an official Build Day, turning the kids' vision of a new playground into reality.

Volunteers from KABOOM!, Pacific Life, the Boys & Girls Club, and the community pitched in to make the playground happen.

Brian Woolfolk, head of the institutional division at Pacific Life, said the project was no small feat.

"This one here feels like it's one of the larger ones that we've done, so it's quite the masterpiece."

Woolfolk said the build came with its share of challenges.

"Lots of challenges. You would think these things would bolt together very easily. They do not."

But when it was all said and done, Woolfolk said the effort was well worth it.

"It was a long day, but it was worth it. It's one of the things that I love about working at Pacific Life all the things that we are able to do in the community."

For Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands President and CEO Richard Webb, the project hits close to home. Webb was once a club member himself and said he is proud to help give today's kids exactly what they envisioned.

"When you think about a playground, there's always a healthy balance of fear, and so you kind of got to get over your fear to climb to the top of the slide. You got to get over your fears. They climb on the rock wall now, right? And then you gotta get over your fears, even come down the fireman's pole."

Webb said the playground offers more than just a place to play.

"It's a learning opportunity also. And sometimes when monkey bars, you gotta have teamwork. What does that look like getting across them? And so there's just more to the eye of a playground than just actually going out there and playing on the equipment."

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