Community invited to Booker T. West Playground grand opening Saturday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Officials with Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc. announced the community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Booker T. West Playground on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at 715 Leland Ave.

The new public neighborhood playground project is a collaborative effort between Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc. and St. Paul Bethel Baptist Church.

Officials say the space is designed to foster community spirit and provide children with a safe and fun environment to play in, that's walkable to most in the neighborhood.

The project was created thanks to South Bend’s Ignite grant, allowing $20,000 of funding to go toward the revitalization of the space, after a team of neighbors collaborated to propose and implement the idea.

Additionally, organizers say support was offered by Professor Kara Boyles, as well as the leaders and students at the University of Notre Dame’s Civic Innovation Lab, previously known as the Center for Civic Innovation.

The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and Beacon Health Systems also supported the project.

“We believe that safe places to play are essential for childhood development and serve as children’s introduction to forming community connections,” said André Northern, the Near Northwest Neighborhood Director of Community Building and Empowerment, “This playground will not only serve children and families, but will also strengthen the bonds between families and neighbors for generations to come.”

The revitalized playground had special support from St. Paul Bethel Baptist Church, who owns the playground, and has committed to keeping the space maintained and open to the public.

The playground is named after Rev. Booker T. West, who was a beloved and influential leader at St. Paul Bethel from 1965 to 1999.

You can find more details and updates on the official Facebook event page.