Creekbend Elementary & Middle School Receives New Playground Donation

(April 10, 2024) - The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Provides New School Playgrounds Across the State

Studies show creating environments for children to experience unstructured play supports their physical health and increases their chances of succeeding academically in the classroom. Over the past two years, the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has built new school playgrounds in seven Mississippi counties. In the spring of 2024, elementary students in four more counties across the state can look forward to new contemporary playgrounds provided by generous grants from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation.

Schools selected to receive the new playgrounds, including Creekbend Elementary and Middle School in the Harrison County School District, either did not have a playground, or had an aged playground in disrepair. The new 7,560 square foot inclusive playground underway at Creekbend Elementary and Middle School has 29 pieces of play equipment, safety surfacing and shading systems. Other schools receiving playgrounds from the Foundation are located in Scott, Wayne and Union counties.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation also provided each school with teacher education curricula and hands-on training designed as a best practice guide offering creative ways to maximize playground activities during recess, physical education classes and before- and after-school programs. The evidence-based curricula is aligned to the national standards of physical education and proven to be successful in motivating students to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to be physically active for a lifetime.

“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for its partnership in the construction of the new playground at Creekbend Elementary & Middle School,” said Harrison County School District Superintendent Mitchell King. “This generous donation will provide a safe and engaging outdoor space where our students can develop important social, cognitive, and physical skills. We appreciate the Foundation’s commitment to investing in the health and well-being of our youth. The students and staff at Creekbend are incredibly excited about this project, and we cannot wait to see the children’s faces light up with joy as they explore and play on their new playground.”

“The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is proud to provide spacious school playgrounds where students can engage in active play outside of the classroom,” said Foundation Director Eugenia King. “The playground structures are designed for physical activities such as climbing, crawling, jumping and running to improve balance, flexibility and cardiovascular health while promoting creativity and building social skills.”

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has a vision for a healthy Mississippi and provides leadership and targeted grant funding for sustainable initiatives and programs to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. 

Learn more about the Foundation’s partnerships at www.healthiermississippi.org.