Delta completes 46th KABOOM! playground in Atlanta’s Grant Park in partnership with the Grant Park Conservancy 

On Oct. 25, 100 Delta employees and local community volunteers from Atlanta’s Grant Park came together to build Delta’s 46th KABOOM! playground and 11th in the airline’s hometown. Delta partnered with Grant Park Conservancy to build the new playspace in Grant Park, the oldest park in Atlanta.  The new playspace is the largest Delta and KABOOM! have built together and was the culmination of two years of planning.  The playground was built in collaboration with KOMPAN and is the second playground Delta has built with the playground builder in Atlanta - the other was in Cook Park in 2018.    

“It’s our 100^th year at Delta, and we are an organization that gives back to the communities where we live, work and serve – it’s a core tenet of who we are, so this is a great opportunity to get involved, show how much we appreciate our hometown and build something really special for the kids of Atlanta,” said Amy Martin, Vice President – North America Network Planning at Delta and a member of the Grant Park Conservancy Board.    

“Thousands of children come through Grant Park every year, and the playground that was here was well-loved and well-used, but it was time for an upgrade,” said Michelle Blackmon, Executive Director of Grant Park Conservancy.  “Without a partner like Delta, we would not have been able to bring this new, modern playground to Grant Park.”  

During the event, neighborhood residents worked alongside Delta volunteers to build the new playground, pointing out how excited their families were to have a new, modern, playground in their neighborhood. Throughout the year, Grant Park residents met to provide feedback on what they wanted to see in the new playground. Other projects for the day included a fresh coat of paint for an iconic concrete turtle that has been in the park for generations, allowing future generations to enjoy the green turtle.    

“I love being a part of a company that gives back, because it lets us know that it is not just about business,” said Jacquetta H., an Atlanta-based volunteer from Delta’s Reservation Sales & Customer Care team. “Putting people first is part of our Delta Flight Plan, and a park is for the people, and it shows that we care.”    

Delta volunteers came from all around the globe and were joined by 18 SkyMiles Members who volunteered their time to help build the playground. “Everybody talks about the Delta difference, and it’s not just providing amazing service onboard an aircraft, but it’s also about being good stewards of the community,” said David O., a member of Delta’s SkyMiles Life Facebook group.     

The dynamic and colorful new playground includes slides, swings, a frame net and a toddler play space, plus plenty of space for kids to explore. Following the completion of the playground, a ribbon cutting was held with Delta representatives surprising the Grant Park Conservancy with a $25,000 check from the airline.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams, representing the 5^th Congressional District of Georgia, joined the festivities along with her family to see the playground in construction and said, “My son plays baseball here in Grant Park. Playgrounds are here to give kids in the community a place to play and to hang out, and I am so grateful to Delta and its 100 volunteers who came out to make this playground a reality.”    

“This is the largest playground that Delta and KABOOM! have built together and this is our 46^th build,” said Lysa Ratliff, Chief Executive Officer of KABOOM! “We’re on a mission to make sure we bring kids and communities together and to reimagine public space with kids in mind.”  

Delta is proud to support KABOOM! in its goal to end play space inequality by uniting with communities to build intentional play spaces that spark joy and foster a sense of belonging for children who are often denied opportunities to thrive. Delta volunteers have helped build 46 KABOOM! playgrounds across the country since the partnership began in 2013.