MAXTON — Chavila Bullard watched Wednesday as years of frustration for her daughter Jayla quickly washed away.
For years she had watched Jayla miss out on playing with her siblings at playgrounds because she is confined to a wheelchair. On Wednesday, after almost 11 years, Jayla was given the change to play with her siblings at the playground built at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, located at 638 Terry Sanford Road in Maxton.
Volunteers from the Lumbee Tribe, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and the community joined KaBOOM! Wednesday in assembling Robeson County’s first playground that features accommodations for special-needs children with varying abilities.
“I want to thank God, the Lumbee Tribe, KaBOOM!, all the volunteers, every hand, every person from the deepest part of my heart,” Bullard said.
It took the volunteers only about six hours to install the approximately 20 pieces of equipment on the 2,500-square-foot piece of property.
The project cost $112,000 and Blue Cross covered the community partner cost, typically $8,500, because it is a disaster impacted community, said Brian Edmonds, a communications specialist with Blue Cross Public Relations.
“We have more than 200 volunteers and 125 of those are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina employees,” said Reagan Greene Pruitt, Blue Cross vice president of Marketing and Community Engagement.
Although situated inside of the tribe’s Cultural Center, the playground is open to the public.
“It is for everyone,” said Harvey Godwin, chairman of the Lumbee Tribe.
The playground, in its close association with the Cultural Center and the resources it offers, will help children exercise and develop healthy habits, he said.
According to a health rankings report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robeson County is one of the unhealthiest counties in North Carolina and the nation.
“Kids are the future of our state,” Pruitt said. “The healthier our kids are, the healthier the future of our state will be.”
The kick-off ceremony for playground build began at 9:30 a.m. and the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at 3:40 p.m.
While Kaya Littleturtle sang the honor song to welcome the volunteers, Reggie Brewer performed a sacred smudging to prepare the land. Littleturtle also led the group in a Friendship Dance.
“We believe that this is the best thing that we can give you,” Littleturtle said.
In his opening remarks, Godwin spoke about the need for an accessible playground in the area, and how the Cultural Center now thrives despite severe flooding caused by hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
“This whole area here, all the way back to the river, was chest high with water,” he said. “This work you do here will promote healing for our area.
“I can’t thank you enough. This is a long time coming.”
Godwin presented Patrick Conway, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, with a framed shadow box by the Lumbee Tribe’s Boys and Girls Club. Conway helped motivate crowd and participated in playground construction.
“I’m in my work clothes,” Conway said. “I plan to actually work.”
Conway, who also is a pediatrician, has ambitious health goals for the state. He said accessible playgrounds play a large role in those plans.
“When we work together as a state and invest in communities, invest in playgrounds, invest in health, I think we could become the healthiest state in the country,” Conway said. “In terms of playground, they have such a profound impact on families with children.”
Janna Blue said she had a great experience volunteering with the build.
“We got here at 9 this morning,” said Blue, adding she was inspired by the day.
She encourages others to volunteer and to give back to their community.
“Take advantage of even a small opportunity that can have an impact on the community,” she said.
In February, children from the community came together to draw their dream playground. The playground is based off their drawings.
The Cultural Center project is the 12th KaBOOM! build, Pruitt said.
Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at tsinclair@robesonian.com or 910-416-5865. Jessica Horne can be reached at jhorne@robesonian.com or 910-416-5165.
