After a full day of working at the Bloordale Build-A-Bear park in Toronto, Canada, only one word can describe it: KaBOOM! The day was full of smiling faces and eager community members willing to spend a day packed of doing busy jobs. A member of the community, Keith Storey, kicked the day off with some amazing and very interesting stretches (the dig, spread the mulch, and raise the slide). Not only did it get workers pumped up, but it also put unforgettable smiles on the many children’s faces. The best aspects of the park however, isn’t the slides or the rock climbing walls, or the seemingly endless amounts of mulch; but instead it’s the fact of knowing how the park truly was a community effort, and is now filled with love and (soon to be) incredible memories. Although, (since I am still a kid at heart ) sitting here writing this and staring at the park is killing me! It’s so tempting not to jump on it right now and start playing! I can’t wait until I can come out here and see all of the smiling, laughing children enjoying this amazing park. And even though it was an extremely hard day I know in 10 years or even 20 when I come here with my own kids, even though it won’t be as new, the memories had here will definitely make it shine as if it was preserved in a glass box every day it has existed. So thank you so much KaBOOM! and Build-A-Bear, and everyone else who made this park possible! It’s  going to definitely become an important landmark in our community.

Meghan Froebelius