Well-designed, free public spaces make a community vibrant and improve the quality of life for residents. Playgrounds are one of these places. They let kids engage and interact with peers, make friends, develop language, motor and social skills and encourage physical activity.While Calgary has over 1,000 City of Calgary playgrounds – not including community and school playgrounds – there are many places throughout the world that have very few playgrounds. For this reason, when City of Calgary playground equipment no longer meets Canadian standards, we donate the pieces that would otherwise end up in a landfill to charitable organizations that repurpose the equipment.“While the equipment may no longer meet City of Calgary standards and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) guidelines, it can still be of great value and provide safe play opportunities for children in other countries after being refurbished and professionally and properly installed,” said Artur Kochanczyk, Infrastructure Lead, Parks & Open Spaces, City of Calgary.The City’s Parks Infrastructure Team has repurposed playground equipment for years, donating it to various charitable organizations. In 2024, The City donated over 40 pieces of equipment to Alberta-based not-for-profit organization, Hope Mission. They collect, refurbish, transport and professionally install playgrounds in countries where children have less access to free play amenities.  “(By partnering with The City), we have been able to give the gift of ‘play’ to orphanages, schools and communities that would otherwise never have access to developmental play,” said Deryk Kirchner, International Director for Hope Mission. “Each playground has had volunteer teams from the sponsoring groups go with a professional certified builder from Alberta to install the equipment together with local community members and hosts. Many of our builders have come from Calgary and they ensure the playgrounds are installed properly and safely.” One such playground was built at an orphanage and school in Belize where the power of having more opportunities to play was very evident shortly after the equipment was installed. “When the children come into the classroom they are chatting and already socially engaged and the teachers felt they had gained one to two hours of effective education because of the playground,” said Kirchner.In addition to providing opportunities for play, donating this equipment reduces waste by repurposing equipment that would otherwise end up in a landfill.“Our Parks & Open Spaces staff are always looking for ways to reduce waste and find a new use for materials, where possible,” said Kochanczyk. “This program to donate playground equipment that we can no longer use here in Calgary is a great example of this.” Photos courtesy of Hope Mission: Children enjoying refurbished playground equipment at an orphanage and school in Haiti. Photo courtesy of Hope Mission: A playground in Mozambique built using donated playground equipment.Photo courtesy of Hope Mission: A child enjoying a new playground built in Bullet Tree Falls, Belize. Examples of the types of playground equipment donated by The City of Calgary to Hope Mission in 2024 to be refurbished and professionally installed in communities outside Canada.