Community Rallies Together To Rebuild Playground Destroyed by Fire

• After a fire destroyed a popular playground in Long Beach, California, in July 2021, a community-wide effort took shape to rebuild it, including partners in the public and private sector.
• Shortly after the fundraising campaign was launched by the non-profit Partners of Parks in 2021, Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery committed $250,000 to the project.
• The new playground will maintain its nautical theme, like the original design, but will feature new inclusive equipment meant to accommodate kids with disabilities or special needs.

Nearly two years after a fire destroyed the playground at Admiral Kidd Park in Long Beach, California, community leaders and partners, including representatives from Marathon Petroleum’s Los Angeles refinery in nearby Wilmington, came together at the site to break ground on a new playground.

“Today's groundbreaking highlights the important role that partnerships play to overcome big challenges and deliver for our community,” said Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach.

The late March groundbreaking ceremony was a much-anticipated step forward in the process to rebuild the popular gathering spot for children and families on the city’s west side—part of a community-wide effort and fundraising campaign launched shortly after the July 2021 fire.

“Partners of Parks is so grateful we could help bring the community together to meet the funding gap and restore this safe space for kids to play,” Partners of Parks Executive Director Trinka Rowsell said at the event.

“This partnership between the private sector, the city and all of the organizations involved to make this day possible is truly remarkable.”

With a nearly seven-figure price tag, the project was dependent on a variety of stakeholders in the community. One of the first calls Partners of Parks received in the aftermath of the fire was from Marathon, which committed $250,000 to the project.

“Parks and their impact on a community is too often understated,” CP Patsatzis, Vice President of Refining at Marathon Petroleum said at the March 2023 groundbreaking. “This partnership between the private sector, the city and all of the organizations involved to make this day possible is truly remarkable.”

The park was named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was killed in action at Pearl Harbor. He was a Commander in the U.S. Navy who resided in Long Beach. The playground will maintain its nautical theme, like the original design, but will now also feature new inclusive equipment meant to accommodate children with disabilities or special needs. Construction of the project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2023.