MKE Plays Receives $10K contribution

The MKE Plays initiative has received a generous gift of $10,000 from Dennis Klein of C.D. Smith Construction, Inc. in support of neighborhood park reconstruction projects throughout Milwaukee.

“Mr. Klein’s generous contribution will help in creating safe, fun, engaging play spaces for youth in Milwaukee,” said 10th District Alderman Michael Murphy, who conceived the MKE Plays initiative back in 2015 as a way to re-prioritize parks for local government while soliciting additional help from private sector partners.

MKE Plays empowers local residents with the resources to create parks that are an authentic reflection of the needs, interests, and identities of the neighborhoods they serve. “Programs that engage communities are essential to making neighborhoods safer as researched by sociologist Patrick Sharkey in his book, Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, the Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence,” said Ald. Murphy.

By the end of 2018, after three years of community-involved design, MKE Plays will have transformed fourteen of the city’s most deteriorated playgrounds into models of local collaboration and renovation. With Mr. Klein’s support, the program has raised $1,586,648 in private funding, which has allowed for a faster pace of reconstruction and more innovative park and playground features.

“Other donors who are interested in empowering local residents with the resources to revitalize these neighborhood parks are encouraged to contact my office,” said Ald. Murphy.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.