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The City of McKeesport and the Lions Club will partner with Duquesne Light Company and national nonprofit KaBOOM! to design and build a new playground in the city's Highland Grove neighborhood.

"The children are our future, so it is important to help them grow up in a safe and caring environment, while teaching them values," Mayor Michael Cherepko said.

The playground at the corner of Highland Avenue and Chestnut Street will be constructed on April 25, 2014. More than 200 volunteers from the city, the Lions Club, Duquesne Light and the community, along with organizers from KaBOOM!, will build the new playground in about six hours. Funding will be provided by the power company and the city.

Cherepko said children in Highland Grove need a new, safe place to play, and the partnership between the city, KaBOOM! and Duquesne Light will make that happen.

In May, McKeesport was recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA community for its efforts to give children the childhood they deserve by providing ample opportunities for play.

Duquesne Light President and CEO Rich Riazzi said it's the third consecutive year that his company has partnered with KaBOOM! to build a playground in the PIttsburgh area.

"The process never ceases to amaze me," he said. "To watch our employees join hundreds of volunteers from the community to build a state-of-the-art play space in a single day --- making children's 'dream playground' a reality --- is a very special thing. Joining the City of McKeesport and the McKeesport Lions Club to work with KaBOOM! once again makes perfect sense. We are excited to get to work."

Before construction can begin, the partners are hosting a Design Day on Jan. 30, 2014. Children will be asked to put crayons to paper and draw their dream playgrounds. Their ideas will inspire the final design. Design Day will also be the first meeting of the playground planning committee that will work for 12 weeks to plan and prepare for Build Day.

To volunteer or learn more information, contact Annette James at the Mayor's Office at (412) 675-5020, extension 605.