Connecticut towns send playscapes to Guatemala after careful disassembly.

About 25 playscapes from 14 Connecticut communities were dismantled, packed into 40-foot sea containers and shipped roughly 3,200 miles to Guatemala, where mission groups and schools reassembled them; the effort required detailed, time‑intensive work by town staff and volunteers.

About 25 playscapes from 14 Connecticut communities were dismantled, packed into 40-foot sea containers and sent to Guatemala. The effort grew from a 2018 conversation between Thomaston's Jay Fredlund and John Hollerbach of Creative Recreation and expanded in 2023. Town parks, recreation and public works staff and volunteers carried out careful, labor‑intensive removal so equipment could be reused rather than landfilled. Recipients in Guatemala, including mission teams and schools such as Agua Viva School and Dream Invest Grow, reassembled the playgrounds for local children. Key details: - Around 25 playscapes from 14 Connecticut towns were shipped about 3,200 miles to Guatemala. - Equipment was carefully disassembled; cement pillars were removed and poles were lifted gently before parts were packed into 40‑foot sea containers for shipping. - The project was led by Jay Fredlund, an ambassador with Kids Alive, International, with assistance from John Hollerbach, owner of Creative Recreation. - Participating Connecticut municipalities included Darien, Guilford, Hartford, New Britain, New London, New Milford, Deep River, Gaylordsville, Greenwich, New Fairfield, Plainfield, Prospect, Southington and Stonington. - Recipients reported the playgrounds are in daily use and likely to provide years of play; two playscapes from Guilford’s Jacob’s Beach have arrived and are expected to be reassembled in November 2026. - Playgrounds in the U.S. are often retired after a 15–20 year life cycle for safety and maintenance reasons, and repurposing parts can avoid landfill disposal. Summary: The initiative repurposed municipal play equipment so children in Guatemala could gain access to more developed playscapes, and many town employees described the removal and packing process as tedious but meaningful. Some pieces remain to be reassembled, including two Guilford playscapes expected in November 2026, and participants say recipients are using the equipment daily.