(January 4, 2010, New Orleans, La.)- Members of the University of New Orleans community helped celebrate the dedication of a new playground in Burbank Gardens, located a few blocks from UNO’s Lakefront campus.
The Donnelly Park playground was a project of the Allstate Foundation, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, the Brees Dream Foundation and the Carroll Janis family. In December, dozens of volunteers, including UNO students, helped build the new structure. The playground provides a safe area for children to play in Burbank Gardens, which, like much of Gentilly, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It is the sixth New Orleans playground that Allstate has sponsored, and the company has committed to building five more.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who spoke during the dedication ceremony, was joined by New Orleans City Council members Arnie Fielkow and Cynthia-Hedge Morrell; UNO vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs and dean of the graduate school Scott Whittenburg; and other political, business and community leaders.
The playground features several slides, swings, climbing structures and activity panels. It is part of a larger Donnelly Park project that includes landscaped hills, trees and a walking path. During the ceremony, neighborhood organizers noted the significant role that UNO has played in the revitalization of the areas surrounding its Lakefront campus.