Good Neighbor Pharmacy, KaBOOM! and the Community YMCA design, build dream play space for children

RED BANK, N.J. — In less than eight hours, a play space was built at the Community YMCA’s Family Health and Wellness Center with the help of more than 200 volunteers from the Community YMCA, Good Neighbor Pharmacy and non profit KaBOOM!, the companies announced Monday. The new playground — which was made possible by funds donated by Good Neighbor Pharmacy and matched by its parent company, AmerisourceBergen — will serve hundreds of children in the community for years to come.

“The Community YMCA is truly grateful to KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy for their generosity and commitment to ensuring that all children have a safe place to play,” stated the Community YMCA president and CEO Rhonda Anderson. “We thank them and the many hardworking volunteers and local businesses who supported this project. Together, we are making a lasting impact for children in our community.” 

Planning for the playground began at a design day event held on Sept. 3, where local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy to design their dream playground. The children's drawings were then used to create the final playground design.

“Good Neighbor Pharmacy is thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to local communities like Red Bank through our partnership with KaBOOM!,” stated AJ Caffentzis, SVP sales and marketing, at AmerisourceBergen. “We are committed to the health and well-being of our customers, employees and communities. Our Good Neighbor Pharmacy members, in particular, remain cornerstones of their respective communities, working to improve patient access and patient health in local neighborhoods across the country. We view our partnership with KaBOOM! as an extension of our commitment to local communities.”

The playground is the first of five that will be built together by KaBOOM! and Good Neighbor Pharmacy, the companies noted.