LUSBY, Md. — Volunteers gathered at Cove Point Park on Tuesday to begin construction on a new community-designed playground as part of a multiday build effort led by the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation, national nonprofit KABOOM! and Constellation Energy.
The project marks the start of ‘Build Week,’ running May 19-21, during which volunteers will prepare and assemble the playground before a public ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon. Organizers said approximately 190 volunteers are expected to participate throughout the week, including community members, county employees and corporate partners.
The new playground is being installed at Cove Point Park following a community-led design process earlier this spring, where children and families helped shape the final vision through sketches, feature selections and color preferences.
Volunteers on Tuesday focused on site preparation and organizational work ahead of Thursday’s main build day, when teams are expected to construct the playground in a single day-long effort. No construction experience was required for participants, with organizers providing tools, safety materials, meals and event T-shirts.
Designed by the Community and Built for the Future
Stephanie Sperling, park planner with the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation, described the Cove Point Park playground build as both a community-driven recreation project and an investment in youth engagement, wellness and public space. She emphasized the importance of playgrounds as places where children can experience freedom, imagination and social interaction in a world where opportunities for independent outdoor play have diminished.
“Playgrounds are so necessary. In today’s world, this is the place where kids get freedom, where they can be imaginative and just be a kid,” Sperling said. “One thing I love about my job as a park planner is I can do projects like this and then look at it afterward and say, ‘I helped with that.’”
Sperling said the KABOOM! model stood out because it directly involved local children and families in designing the playground from the beginning. Through community workshops and surveys, children were encouraged to describe and draw their dream playground features, while parents and caregivers identified priorities for family recreation spaces. She said the result is a playground shaped by authentic youth input.
“This playground was designed with the community. Kids came in and talked about what they wanted in their dream playground, and adults talked about what they wanted for their families,” Sperling said. “If a kid comes out and says, ‘I wanted a spiral slide,’ and then they come here and there’s a spiral slide, that gives them empowerment.”
She also highlighted the broad community partnership behind the project, which includes KABOOM!, Constellation Energy, Calvert County Parks & Recreation and several local businesses and organizations contributing funding, volunteer labor and planning support. Sperling said the build reflects strong community ownership of local parks and a desire to give back for future generations.
“At the end of this, we’re going to have this amazing playground tucked away in the back of the park alongside all these other amenities that make this a great place for residents,” Sperling said. “People are just so invested in our parks. Almost everybody involved has stories about bringing their kids here, and now they feel like this is their opportunity to give back.”
Sperling said the new playground complements wider improvements already underway at Cove Point Park, including refinished basketball courts, swimming facilities and new tennis and pickleball amenities, helping position the park as a local gathering place and a regional destination for families.
Corporate Partnership with Community Roots
Luke Hancock, community engagement manager with Constellation Energy, described the Cove Point Park playground project as a long-term community investment rooted in Constellation’s decades-long presence in Southern Maryland through the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center.
“Giving back to the community has always been a part of our DNA and will continue to be a part of our DNA,” Hancock said. “We’ve had so many employees and their families visit this park over the years, so when this opportunity came up, it only made sense for us to get involved.”
Hancock said the project grew from conversations between Constellation and Calvert County officials about local community priorities. While an earlier discussion centered on replacing the park’s larger main playground, the scope and cost led organizers to instead focus on revitalizing a smaller playground area near the ball fields that had been out of commission for years.
“This playground is more than just slides and swings. It’s a place where kids will laugh, families will gather, friendships will grow and memories will be made for years to come,” Hancock said. “This playground costs about $190,000 to get lifted off the ground, and it would not be possible without local companies leaning in and wrapping their arms around Cove Point Park.”
He said the project became possible through a coalition of local businesses, nonprofits and public partners working alongside KABOOM! and Calvert County Parks & Recreation. Hancock emphasized that the playground was ‘built for the community by the community,’ noting that local children directly influenced the final design through KABOOM!’s design-day workshops.
“We invited local children and families to tell us what they could see in their dream playground,” Hancock said. “The design ultimately grew from those children’s ideas, which is pretty cool.”
Hancock also highlighted the broader community impact of the project, describing the playground as a safe, ADA-accessible gathering space intended to create lasting memories for families while supporting youth recreation and outdoor play. He said the project reflects Constellation’s longstanding commitment to community engagement and corporate social responsibility in the region surrounding the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center.
“Really, the impact is to give a safe place for children and families to visit, where they can come run around and play for years to come,” Hancock said. “When you have the opportunity to get involved in a project like this, it just makes your heart happy.”
Giving Back to the Community They Call Home
Katie Campbell, property management coordinator with the Mark Frisco Team, said the Cove Point Park playground project reflects both a personal and community investment for local families connected to the Lusby area.
“Being involved in this project has been another way for us to give back to the community and invest in the place our families call home,” Campbell said. “Mark grew up in Lusby, still lives here with his family, and he’s really passionate about making this a nice place for local families to live.”
Campbell, who lives near the park and is raising five children in the community, said the project resonated strongly with the Mark Frisco Team because owner Mark Frisco grew up in Lusby, continues to live there with his family and has spent years helping families buy and sell homes throughout the region. She described the playground partnership as another way for the organization to give back to the community and help improve the quality of life for local residents.
Speaking as a sponsor representative and a parent volunteer, Campbell emphasized the importance of involving children directly in the design process. She said her own children were excited to participate in the KABOOM! design workshops and have continued following the project’s progress throughout the build process.
“My kids were absolutely thrilled to help design the playground,” Campbell said. “They’ve been really excited throughout the process and can’t wait to come play here when it’s finished.”
Campbell said projects like the playground build offer a positive reminder that communities can still come together to create meaningful spaces for children and families.
“This is a nice reminder that we can still come together as a community to do something positive for our kids,” Campbell said. “Our kids really deserve the best of what we have.”
She added that the finished playground will encourage families to spend more time outdoors while creating lasting memories for future generations.
“This is one more place where families can come, get outside and enjoy the outdoors,” Campbell said.
A Good Win for the Community
Divine McAllister, project manager with KABOOM!, said the Cove Point Park playground project was a great example of how communities, businesses and nonprofits can work together to create lasting spaces for children and families.
McAllister described KABOOM! as a national nonprofit focused on ending play space inequity, by partnering with communities across the country for more than 30 years to build over 17,000 playgrounds. He said the Cove Point Park project stood out because of the broad collaboration between local organizations, volunteers and funding partners, all contributing time, labor and resources to support the build.
“What’s particularly special about this playground is that so many organizations and corporations are coming together to wrap their arms around Cove Point Park,” McAllister said. “People are donating their time, their talent and their treasure.”
He said the playground was designed with community input and will primarily serve younger children and siblings of youth sports participants already using the park’s athletic facilities. McAllister said playgrounds like this play an important role in children’s physical, emotional and social development, helping create safe places where children can build confidence, relationships and resilience.
“Playgrounds are where kids learn to share, to care, to fall down and get back up,” McAllister said. “It’s where we raise happy and healthy kids. It’s important to have a place to play.”
McAllister also highlighted the scale of the volunteer effort behind the project, noting that approximately 190 volunteers are expected to help complete the playground in a single build day. He said the project demonstrates how community collaboration can create positive momentum and a stronger sense of belonging.
“From time to time, a community just needs a good win,” McAllister said. “Rallying around our children and rallying around a play space is a great way to build a sense of belonging.”
Community Partners Rally Around Cove Point Park
The KABOOM! initiative is separate from larger playground renovations already underway at Cove Point Park, but officials said the new installation will further expand recreational opportunities for families in the Lusby area while complementing ongoing park improvements.
Project partners include KABOOM!, Constellation Energy, the Calvert County Department of Parks & Recreation, Dash In, Scheibel Construction, CalvertHealth, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Sneade’s Ace Home Center, Chick-fil-A First Colony Center and the Witt family, and the Mark Frisco Team, all of which contributed funding, volunteer support, planning assistance or in-kind resources toward the project.
Thursday’s community build day is expected to bring together nearly 200 volunteers to complete the playground in a single day and culminate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m., depending on project completion.
Fast Facts About Cove Point Park
Location
Hours of Operation
- Mid-March through Mid-November: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Offseason: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Sports field lighting shuts off 10 minutes before park closing.
Park Amenities
- Baseball fields
- Sports fields
- Basketball courts
- Tennis courts
- Pickleball courts
- Playground areas
- Dog park
- Seasonal swimming pool
- Picnic areas and pavilion
- Walking/jogging paths
- Restrooms
