Nearly 200 Volunteers Complete Community Playground Build At Cove Point Park

LUSBY, Md. — Nearly 200 volunteers gathered Thursday at Cove Point Park to complete construction of a new community-designed playground during a build effort organized through a partnership between the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation, KABOOM!, Constellation Energy and several local organizations.

Teams of volunteers spent the day assembling playground structures, spreading mulch, installing equipment and preparing the site ahead of an afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the project. The effort concluded a multiday “Build Week” that began earlier in the week with site preparation and organizational work.

The new playground was designed with direct input from local children and families through community workshops and KABOOM! design activities held earlier this year. The process allowed children to help shape the final vision of the play space by sharing ideas, drawings and preferred features.

The project also brought together partners from Scheibel Construction, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Sneade’s Ace Home Center, Chick-fil-A First Colony Center, the Witt family, and the Mark Frisco Team, along with community members from across Southern Maryland. The effort focused on expanding recreational space for children and families in the Lusby area.

The playground is intended to serve younger children and siblings of youth sports participants already using the park’s nearby athletic facilities. The finished play space connects to a newly paved pathway painted with kid-friendly sidewalk games.

Powering Community Investment Beyond Energy

Carrie Stockwell, director of philanthropy with Constellation Energy, described the Cove Point Park playground build as a community-centered project focused on bringing people together through hands-on collaboration and long-term investment in local families.

“Today really is about bringing the community together and creating community,” Stockwell said. “We are here with our colleagues, our neighbors and our friends building something together that’s going to have a lasting impact.”

Stockwell said Constellation played a key leadership role in convening businesses, sponsors and community partners to help bring the project to life alongside the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation and KABOOM!. She emphasized that the effort extended beyond financial sponsorship, with employees and community members working side-by-side during the build process.

“When you have a vision and you bring people together, you can achieve something great and better your community,” Stockwell said. “You can only do that by collaborating and bringing people together to be part of something bigger than any one person or any one company.”

According to Stockwell, the project reflects Constellation’s broader philanthropic philosophy of supporting and improving the communities where the company operates. She said the organization views community engagement and volunteerism as central to its identity, particularly in Southern Maryland, where the company has longstanding ties through the nearby Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center.

“Giving back to the community is one of the reasons our employees say they are proud to work at Constellation,” Stockwell said. “We believe the company has a responsibility to leave the community better than how we found it. We live here too, so this is our community.”

Mark Rodgers, senior manager of communications with Constellation Energy, said the Cove Point Park playground build was a meaningful opportunity for employees and community partners to work side-by-side on a project that will have a lasting local impact.

“We probably have between 60 and 70 employees here today volunteering,” Rodgers said. “Some of these employees will be coming back here with their kids and grandkids to play at this playground.”

Rodgers said many employees from the nearby Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center live and raise families in Southern Maryland, making the playground project personally significant for those volunteering during build day. He said access to parks and recreational spaces is an important part of community development.

“Public parks like this are so important for families, especially young families,” Rodgers said. “It gives families a place to recreate, get into green space, get closer to nature and enjoy some clean, healthy fun.”

He also emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, highlighting the partnership between local government, KABOOM!, corporate sponsors and volunteers. Rodgers praised the organization and efficiency of the KABOOM! build process, as well as the nonprofit’s community-centered approach to playground design, which included direct input from local children and families.

“I’m really impressed with the leadership the KABOOM! team is providing. They’ve obviously done this many times before, and it really shows,” Rodgers said. “KABOOM!’s approach to involve the community in the design is a great approach.”

Community Health Extends Beyond Hospital Walls

Kara Harrer, associate vice president of ancillary services with CalvertHealth Medical Center, said CalvertHealth’s participation in the Cove Point Park playground build demonstrated the organization’s commitment to community wellness, outreach and collaboration beyond the walls of the hospital.

“It’s for the kids, and we all know right now, a big focus is healthy lifestyles and physical activity,” Harrer said. “Coming out here as a community partner to work with everyone and see this come to fruition, and then see the children and families play around, is going to be very self-satisfying.”

Harrer said it was important for CalvertHealth employees to participate directly in the project alongside other volunteers and organizations. She described the build as an opportunity for healthcare workers, businesses, engineers, designers and residents to come together around a shared goal focused on children and healthy lifestyles.

“It’s important for us to be out in the community helping our community, not just financially, but by being hands-on,” Harrer said. 

Harrer also emphasized the importance of using the CalvertHealth Medical Center mobile medical unit to support community outreach and provide on-site medical support in the event of an emergency during the park build. She added that many CalvertHealth employees also value opportunities to volunteer outside their regular healthcare roles. 

“It’s not just working inside the four walls of the hospital,” Harrer said. “A lot of our employees like to give back to the community and get outside and do services like this.”

Jeremy Bradford, CEO of CalvertHealth Medical Center, said the organization’s involvement in projects like the playground build was part of its responsibility to support community wellness both inside and outside the hospital setting. He emphasized that healthcare organizations cannot operate in isolation and must collaborate with local government, businesses and community organizations to address broader quality-of-life and public health needs.

“We consider ourselves one of the main fabrics of the community as both a healthcare facility and one of the county’s largest employers,” Bradford said. “So, we want to make sure that we’re out here to support these initiatives, because these are the individuals that we’re caring for in our hospitals. We care for them inside the walls of the hospital as well as on the outside.”

He also described the project as personally meaningful because his family uses Cove Point Park, with his son participating in youth baseball activities there. Bradford said the playground is a long-term investment that will benefit local children and families for years with expanded access to safe public recreation spaces.

“My son plays baseball in this park, and so for us to be able to take advantage of such a beautiful area, such as Cove Point Park, for me it’s both personal and professional,” Bradford said. “Far and long after we’re gone, people will still benefit from this park, and we’re leaving a legacy.”

Bradford connected the project to CalvertHealth’s larger community health initiatives and strategic planning efforts, including outreach partnerships, wellness initiatives and community health needs.

“We’re a trusted healthcare partner delivering a lifetime of exceptional care,” Bradford said. “No matter who walks through our doors, they receive the highest quality of care possible.”

Building Community Through Public Spaces

Amanda Stillwagon, park and safety division chief with the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation, described the Cove Point Park playground build as a major community milestone and one of the largest volunteer-driven park projects the county has undertaken.

“People are invested in their community and want to see this playground come together for the kids,” Stillwagon said. “This is a true representation of how invested Calvert County residents are in their parks.”

Stillwagon said the project had been in development for approximately a year and a half and was originally planned for the previous fall before being delayed until spring. She said seeing the playground physically come together was rewarding and that the equipment that was here before was old and not very fun for children.

“This playground is a replacement of a playground that once was,” Stillwagon said. “Before we started construction on this playground, we had a set of swings back here.”

She emphasized the strong community support behind the project, noting that more than 200 volunteers participated because they were invested in local parks and wanted to help create a space for children and families. According to Stillwagon, the playground fills an important need within the southern section of the park by providing a nearby play area for younger siblings and families attending sports activities on the surrounding athletic fields.

“So, if you have athletes, if your kids are playing on these fields in the back on field two, or they’re playing football, our other playground is just too far away,” Stillwagon said. “This just created a great space for kids that was an eye shot of the fields in the backside of the park, and I think that folks are going to be overjoyed.”

Collin Curry, a 15-year-old volunteer from Leonardtown, said he joined the Cove Point Park playground build to help create a fun place for younger children while giving back through community service.

“I used to love playing on playgrounds as a kid, and I thought it would be a great way to give back to other kids,” Curry said. “I wanted to help make a fun place for them to play.”

Curry said he spent build day helping paint games and activities onto the playground sidewalks and was surprised by how enjoyable and collaborative the experience became as volunteers worked together throughout the day. He said the opportunity to help build something local families and children will use for years was rewarding and meaningful.

“I helped paint all the fun little games on the sidewalk,” Curry said. “It feels heartwarming. It’s nice to think that I helped build something people are going to love to use.”

County Commissioners Praise Volunteer-Driven Park Improvements

Calvert County Commissioner Mike Hart, District 1, said the Cove Point Park playground build was a strong example of community volunteerism and the kind of collaborative spirit he remembers growing up with in Southern Maryland.

“This is old school. It’s incredible seeing all these community members pitching in like this,” Hart said. “Back when I was a kid, volunteers and neighbors came together to get things done.”

Hart said seeing hundreds of volunteers come together to build the playground was a great example of a Calvert County community effort, where neighbors, civic organizations and residents worked to improve recreational opportunities for children and families. He said Cove Point Park was a great asset in Lusby and that the projects like this will get a lot of use.

“It’s a great spot where parents can watch both their older kids playing sports and the younger ones at the playground,” Hart said. “This is a great project. There’s still so much more to do, but this is a really nice start.”

Hart said the new playground fits into the county’s vision for expanding family-friendly recreation spaces by creating a convenient area for younger children near the park’s athletic fields. He emphasized that Calvert County public parks were safe places where families can gather.

Catherine Grasso, Calvert County commissioner for District 3, described the Cove Point Park playground build as an important investment in the community and an example of Calvert County’s commitment to improving public spaces for families.

She said she has long supported park improvements throughout the county and viewed the playground project as part of a broader effort to maintain and complete recreational facilities already serving residents. Grasso emphasized the importance of ensuring county parks are fully developed, maintained and accessible for public enjoyment rather than expanding new facilities before existing parks are finished.

“I don’t believe any of our parks should be unfinished for our constituents to enjoy,” Grasso said. “I’d like to see all Calvert County parks reach the same level Cove Point Park has attained.”

She highlighted the strong sense of community demonstrated during build day and said the volunteer turnout reflected the interconnected nature of Calvert County residents. According to Grasso, Cove Point Park represents one of the county’s premier recreational spaces because it brings together athletic fields, playgrounds, pools and family gathering areas in one location.

“I think this is probably one of the nicest parks in Calvert County. This is what our people want,” Grasso said. “You can watch your child play soccer or baseball, and if you have little ones, they can enjoy the playground too. It fits the big picture of the community.”

Fast Facts About Cove Point Park

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