Let There Be Shade:  Playground Fantastico and the City of Napa To Install and Unveil First of its Kind Shade Structure at a City Park

On July 29, 2010, a team of local volunteers and the City of Napa will install 8 giant steel piers to support shade sails at Playground Fantastico (www.playgroundfantastico.com). The Playground was created in 2002 as a project of the Napa Valley Education Foundation, which continues to support it and manage its donated funds.  The City of Napa operates and maintains the community-built art park and playground, located next to the Harvest and River Middles Schools on Old Sonoma Road.

The idea for the shade structures, the first of their kind in the Napa Valley, came from Napa residents Suzanne Lowell and Dianna Messenger, two local mothers who recognized a vital need for comforting shade and sun protection at the park, especially during the blistering summer months.

“Dianna and I wanted to advocate for and put in place sun safety for Napa’s most precious resource, our children,” said Lowell, who began tirelessly working on the project in 2008. “Studies show that shades and protective clothing are our most valuable tool to prevent skin cancer, which is one of the most prevalent cancers in our state.”

Rendering of Shade Sails at Playground Fantastico

Lowell and Messenger approached Matt Eisenberg, a local attorney who is the founder and volunteer general coordinator for Playground Fantastico. Eisenberg embraced the idea. “When we founded Playground Fantastico, we envisioned a community space for children, their parents and caregivers to safely and imaginatively interact,” said Eisenberg. “The shade structures further the mission of this project. The complexity of the original plan engaged over 3,000 volunteers from throughout Napa County. We are thrilled to see the Playground continue to grow and attract new dedicated volunteers who are embracing this project.”

Eisenberg, Lowell and Messenger have worked with Dave Perazzo of the City of Napa, Scott Victor and Scott Oster from the Nova Group and Warren Bowers and Bruce Tucker of Bruce Tucker Construction to facilitate the production of the steel piers and the installation and construction of these massive structures.  Local in-kind donations have been provided by Foster Lumber and Rental Solutions.

California Shade Sails of Oakland has also provided in-kind donations and been engaged to fabricate and install the multi-colored, UV-blocking fabric sails, which will take place in early August.  The colorful shade sails will cover the two large sandboxes at Fantastico and provide comfort to parents and kids while at the same time providing essential protection from harmful UV rays.

Additional volunteer labor will be provided by Napa Business Association, a newly formed group consisting of Eisenberg and Bowers as well as Greg Bennett, John Cordeiro, Jeff Erickson, Ryan Gregory, Eli Herman, William Kampton, Bill Knopka, Tom LeMasters , Mike Manfred and Martin Olsen.

Lowell, a native Australian, in which country you often hear the expression “No Hat, No Play”, understands well the importance of sun safety, which is only recently becoming better known in this country.  The following are just a few of the important facts about the deleterious effects of childhood exposure to sun:

• 50% of lifetime exposure to UV light (the kind that permanently damages skin) occurs during childhood and adolescence.
• Sunburn at any age significantly increases lifetime chances of melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer).
• Between 10 am and 4 pm (when most of our children play at local parks), the sun is at its peak potential for damaging their skin.

Once approvals were obtained from the City, Lowell and Messenger set out to raise the funds necessary for fabrication of the shade sails and un-donated materials and labor.  To date, they have raised $25,000 from local families, two weekend-long garage sales and two large contributions from Dey Labs and Tom and Kyle Futo.

Recently rated one of the “Best Playgrounds in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Chronicle, the shade sails will enhance and improve upon Playground Fantastico for many generations to come.