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Building play in war zones

Whistler charity hosts documentary screening to raise funds for building playgrounds in the Middle East
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Hands up fun Children in war-torn countries in the Middle East are getting another chance at childhood thanks to Whistler's Keith Reynolds who is building playgrounds instead of battle fields.

What: I Know I’m Not Alone

When: Friday, Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m.

Where: MY Millennium Place

Tickets: $20

Whistler residents live in one of the biggest playgrounds in the world, and Keith Reynolds thinks it’s about time Whistler starts exporting a little of that play.

The Whistler resident is hard at work spreading the joy of play to children in war-torn countries by building more than a dozen playgrounds throughout the Middle East, where 80 per cent of the children don’t have a safe place to play.

“I’ve witnessed the human tragedy of war,” said Reynolds, founder of Playground Builders. “As the saying goes, We can’t change the past, but we can definitely influence the future.”

A Playground Builders Foundation fundraiser in Whistler may be one of those influences. The local foundation will present a screening of Michael Franti’s documentary I Know I’m Not Alone on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at MY Millennium Place.

Reynolds founded the charity after spending the last 20 years traveling through developing nations in conflict. He has since built 12 playgrounds, with two still currently under construction, in schools or refugee camps in Israel, Iraq and Palestine.

“Conflict areas are where children are most marginalized and playgrounds are not part of the humanitarian package.”

When thinking about helping out people in need, the first issues charities often look to are concerns such as health, shelter and education, but Reynolds believes play is just as crucial to a child’s well being.

“I saw lots of children, but no childhoods,” he said. “I agree that medicine and school will keep people alive, but they will miss out on something very fundamental: playing.

“Playing has a lot to do with our future development. We learn a lot on the playground. You learn about taking turns and growing up.”

Watching a single schoolyard host children from multiple schools in the West Bank three years ago, Reynolds realized there was a need for more playgrounds. The playground he saw was donated by another Canadian.

“I just didn’t see any playgrounds; there were very few,” he said. “I was inspired by one playground. I saw beautiful kids go out and play and then they went back to class. Then all of a sudden other kids came through the gate. There was 30 of them and then they played for 20 minutes and left. Later on more kids showed up. Someone told me the only other playground was in the other town, so other schools brought children there to play.”

The cost of bringing all this joy to children works out to $5,000 a playground, a small sum for Canadians, but a lot of money for a country where people, on average, survive on $2 a day.

“Five-thousand dollars of our money would be equivalent to $200,000 of their money,” said Reynolds.

Through the non-profit, Reynolds raises the money from his home in Whistler and then sends it to a non-governmental organization called the Sharek Youth Forum, which supplies tools and resources for adolescents to work with children. The project is tendered to businesses in the area, ensuring local people are employed for the construction.

“It not only provides sustainability for the community, but it includes ownership of the project,” Reynolds said. “The people who are building those playgrounds know they are doing it for their children, nieces, nephews and community that will be playing on it.”

In addition to structures such as climbing apparatus, teeter totters, slides, swings and merry-go-rounds, the playgrounds are also centres for community building and environmental awareness.

Every playground includes a waste container and benches where adults can sit and watch their children play.

“In war zones, it’s a luxury to have recycling,” he said. “Hopefully by using the bins, children will take that environmental awareness back to their homes. Centres are often overlooked as well in conflict areas. It’s a place where the community can gather and watch their children play.”

Reynolds has raised money for the projects through his own pocket, private donations, sales of olive oil imported from the West Bank and fundraising events such as the Whistler show.

The Playground Builders benefit evening will include a screening of I Know I’m Not Alone and a raffle for a Whistler-Blackcomb season pass and a reception with nibblies from Alpine Cafe & Catering Company.

“Michael is a wonderful humanitarian,” Reynolds said of the reggae legend who has performed in Whistler numerous times at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. “He has traveled to a lot of the places where I have gone to, including Baghdad, Israel, West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The movie shows a musician’s journey to see the hardships of conflict areas. It’s a great film: it has a message. It’s fun and informative.”

Reynolds hopes to reach out to other places around the world, ensuring every child gets a chance at childhood.

“I’d love to see 500 playgrounds,” he said.

If the Whistler fundraiser sells out, there will be one more playground to add to the tally.

Tickets are $20.