Community Rallies for Yuma’s First Indoor Playground
By: Veronica Shorr, Regional Director
It started with an idea.
When the Fort Yuma Rotary Club came to the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma with a bold vision to help fund the region’s first indoor playground, they weren’t just talking about fun and games. They were thinking about kids, about those blistering summer days, and how a safe space to play can be a solution to bigger public health challenges.
And ACF listened.
Moved by the Rotary Club’s proposal, ACF of Yuma’s Board of Advisors awarded a $25,000 grant to help bring the vision to life. The funding was made possible through discretionary dollars from a statewide field of interest fund dedicated to supporting youth—a perfect fit for a project focused on children’s health, safety, and development. That early investment set off a ripple effect. Fort Yuma Rotary stepped up with a $50,000 contribution of their own, and before long, the idea caught fire. Seventeen other partners, from small local businesses to regional nonprofits, joined the effort, raising the total to over $104,000.
Here’s a look at who’s helping build it:
- Arizona Community Foundation: $25,000
- Contributions from community partners of $29,200, including:
- Avenir Yuma – $3,500
- Regional Center for Border Health – $2,500
- Up to Par Medical – $1,000
- Barkley Ag – $2,000
- Quick Refrigeration – $1,000
- Juan Antonio Perez – $500
- Signmasters – $500
- Rebel and Rowe – $500
- Mark Smith – $500
- Encompass Health – $2,500
- Bard Valley Date Growers – $2,000
- Tucson Rotary Club – $2,000
- Yuma Insurance Inc – $1,000
- Onvida – $7,700
- Visit Yuma – $2,000
The play structure, soon to be installed at the Yuma Children’s Museum, will be the first of its kind in the region. The final piece, a slide being shipped from Texas, is on its way. Excitement is building as the community watches the transformation unfold.
This is more than a playground. It’s a symbol of what happens when a community comes together. When donors, doers, and dreamers align behind a shared goal. In a place like Yuma, where summers reach dangerous levels, having an indoor, climate-controlled space for children to play safely isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
As a Fort Yuma Rotary President, Juan Guzman said, “This is what happens when the whole community shows up. Everyone played a part in making this happen.”
Once complete, the indoor playground will be filled with laughter, movement, and the kind of joy that only comes from play. It all began with one idea—and grew through the power of collective giving. When a community chips in, big things happen. This project is a true reflection of what’s possible when we join forces, gather the generosity of the community, and turn it into a lasting impact.