Today, volunteers from Foresters Financial, KABOOM!, PHP Agency and the Waxahachie community came together to build a new playground at the Waxahachie Family YMCA, transforming an empty site into a place where children can climb, move, imagine, connect and simply play.
And the kids themselves had a hand in creating it.
A few months earlier, local children were handed crayons and asked to draw the playground they wanted. One 12-year-old filled her page with slides, climbing bars and a spinner. Other children added their own ideas. KABOOM used those drawings to help develop the final design.
Today, those ideas are no longer a child's imagination on paper. They are a playground.
Finding a better balance
The opening comes as KABOOM!'s 2026 State of Our Kids Report: Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis draws attention to the changing way children spend their time.
According to the report, children now spend an average of up to 7.5 hours a day on screens outside of school. At the same time, unstructured play and physical activity are declining, while access to quality outdoor spaces remains unequal.
The goal is not to make screens the enemy or suggest that a playground can solve every challenge facing children. It is about balance.
If communities want children to spend more time moving, playing and connecting face to face, they also need to give them safe, appealing and accessible places to do it.
"The State of Our Kids Report shows why places like this still matter. Screens are part of children's lives, but play needs to be part of their lives too. A playground will not solve every challenge a child faces, but it gives them another place to spend their time, move their bodies, use their imaginations and connect with each other," said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!
Designed with kids, not just for them
For the children who participated in the Design Day, the new playground also sends another message: their ideas matter.
"At the Y, we encourage children to explore their imagination and to dream big, and this project has provided an opportunity for youth to see their creativity become a reality," said Curt Hazelbaker, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. "They'll be able to point to parts of this playground and say, 'That was my idea.' It shows them that their contribution to this community is valued."
The finished playground includes ramps, ground-level play features and an accessible glider, creating more opportunities for children with different abilities to enjoy the same space and play together.
More than 200 volunteers from Foresters Financial, PHP Agency, KABOOM! and the Waxahachie community worked side by side to complete the build in one day.
"Making an impact starts with showing up and coming together for a greater purpose. We're incredibly proud to partner with Foresters and KABOOM! to help create a space where children can play, families can connect, and the community can come together. This is about more than building a park, it's about building something that will bring joy and create memories for years to come," Maral Keshishian, President), PHP Agency
180 playgrounds, 20 years, thousands of reasons to keep building
The Waxahachie project marks the 180th playground Foresters Financial has built with KABOOM!, continuing a 20-year collaboration focused on expanding access to safe, welcoming places for children to play.
For Foresters, the milestone is about more than a number. Reaching 180 playgrounds is something we are enormously proud of, but every build brings us back to why we started doing this in the first place. Kids need places where they can be kids. What makes Waxahachie especially meaningful is that the children told us what they wanted, and then our job was to listen and help bring their ideas to life," said Matt Berman, President and CEO, Foresters Financial.
The build takes place during KABOOM!'s 30th anniversary year. Its 2026 State of Our Kids Report combines research with perspectives from young people and leaders across the youth-serving sector, examining screen time, declining physical activity and unequal access to outdoor spaces.
The challenge is not choosing between technology and play. Modern childhood has room for both. The question is whether children have enough opportunities to put down the screen when they want to and find something worth getting up for.
In Waxahachie, there is now one more place to do exactly that.
About Foresters Financial
Financial security and living your purpose
For over 150 years, Foresters has been helping families protect their financial future. But we don't stop there. As a purpose-driven organization, we empower our members with opportunities to enhance their health, support their local communities and champion the causes they care about most. We provide life insurance in the US and Canada, as well as life insurance and savings solutions in the UK, while partnering with our members to help them do more of the good they want to do.
Since 1874, we've been steadfast community builders. Today, sustainability, environmental consciousness and social responsibility are central to delivering our purpose. This commitment drives us to offer meaningful lifelong benefits1, such as Foresters Care™ grants that unite communities, Competitive Scholarships2 to nurture future leaders and more initiatives designed to create a world where good thrives. Together, we're making a difference while inspiring new generations to give back. Foresters Financial is the trade name for The Independent Order of Foresters, the oldest non-denominational fraternal benefit society. For 25 straight years, The Independent Order of Foresters has received an "A" (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best.3
About PHP Agency
Founded in 2009, PHP Agency is a tech-enabled life insurance marketing organization focused on expanding access to financial education, life insurance and entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly within historically underserved communities. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, PHP has more than 50,000 agents across 49 states and Puerto Rico and has served more than 600,000 families. PHP Agency is part of Integrity and partners with leading insurance and annuity carriers to help families protect their financial futures while creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to build careers in the insurance industry.
About The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas
The Y is one of the nation's leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas serves thousands of men, women and children each year, regardless of age, income or background. Anchored in 17 North Texas communities, the Dallas Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver lasting personal and social change. The Y ensures all people have access to the essentials needed to become thriving members of the community. Daily, the Y bridges and fills individual and community needs as a catalyst for impactful change. The YMCA makes accessible the support and opportunities that empower people and communities to learn, grow and thrive. To learn more or get involved in improving our local communities, have opportunities to make an impact and support your neighbors, please visit us at www.ymcadallas.org.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids, communities, and public and private partners to transform 17,000+ playspaces, expanding access to the physical, mental, and social benefits of play for more than 12 million kids nationwide. As KABOOM! celebrates its 30th year, the organization is focused on community-driven solutions through public-private partnerships, research, policy, and advocacy to elevate the current state of our kids and center youth voice in shaping equitable access to playspaces and nature. Together with partners across sectors, KABOOM! is building the play infrastructure kids need to grow up happy and healthy for generations to come. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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1 Foresters Financial member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions, and limitations and may be changed or cancelled without notice or are no longer available. |
2 The Competitive Scholarship benefit is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS). Eligible members, and their spouse, dependent children and grandchildren, may apply, subject to the applicable eligibility criteria and Competitive Scholarship Guidelines in their jurisdiction. |
3 The A.M. Best rating assigned on October 27, 2025, reflects the overall strength and claims-paying ability of The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) but does not apply to the performance of any non-IOF issued products. An "A" (Excellent) rating is assigned to companies that have a strong ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders and have, on balance, excellent balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile when compared to the standards established by. A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best assigns ratings from A++ to F, A++ and A+ being superior ratings and A and A- being excellent ratings. See ambest.com for our latest rating. |
Foresters Financial, Foresters, Foresters Care, Foresters Moments, Foresters Renew, Foresters Member Discounts logo are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Rd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries. |
426331 CAN/US (10/26) |
SOURCE The Independent Order of Foresters
For more information contact: Melanie Gaskin, Senior Manager, Communications, Foresters Financial, [email protected]
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