On Monday, April 29, more than 150 Delta volunteers, BCD Travel and KABOOM! came together to build Delta’s 38th playground at Kelly Park, the sixth in LAX and second in the City of Compton, since the partnership began in 2013. This community service project was offered to attendees of Delta’s Global Sales annual conference, Connect 2024, and it is the fourth KABOOM! playground built in partnership with BCD Travel since 2018.

The new play space offers a safe, accessible place to be physically active, learn and grow for approximately 4,600 children living within two miles of the park, located in Compton, California. During the event, residents of the neighborhood pitched in to assist with the build, pointing out how excited their families were to have a modern, walkable playground nearby.

“Delta’s partnership has been hugely important in impacting the lives of children in this city, and we are grateful for the ways you’ve shown up to show this community the depth of care,” said Emma Sharif, Mayor of Compton. Ms. Sharif was instrumental in bringing the first KABOOM! playground to South Park in Compton in 2019 while she was a city councilwoman and spoke about how proud she was to build a second in her district.

Delta Global Sales leaders like Shawn Cole, V.P. - Global Sales and Scott Santoro, V.P. - Los Angeles and Sales-West led teams throughout the day in building benches, pouring concrete, and participating in the closing ceremonies that included the offices of Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson, LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and CA State Senator Steven Bradford.

The playground was completed in just five hours and included a multi-dimensional play structure with four slides, a rock-climbing wall and a swing set. The volunteers also completed side projects for the community center, including a new coat of paint, gardening and a pergola built from the ground up. At the ribbon cutting, the City of Compton and Kelly Park Community Center was surprised with a check for $10,000 from Delta presented by Delta leaders –the contribution will assist with long-term maintenance of the playground.

Delta is proud to support KABOOM! in its goal to end play space inequality by uniting with communities to build kid-designed play spaces that can spark joy and foster a sense of belonging for the children who are often denied opportunities to thrive. As part of our partnership, which reached its 10-year anniversary in 2023, Delta volunteers have helped build 38 KABOOM! playgrounds around the country.