Detroit Dad Revitalizes Vacant Lots For Kids To Learn And Have Fun

by | Aug 7, 2014 | News | 0 comments

With all the negative news coming out of Detroit these days, it is wonderful to have a heart felt story to report. A father, fed up with the vacant lots next to his home and across the street, stops talking about making a difference and does something about it.

Dan Davis of Detroit took it upon himself to turn two vacant lots into play areas for children in his neighborhood to have fun, exercise and even learn a few things in the process. He didn’t wait for permission or consensus from fellow adults in the neighborhood, he took action and make a little oasis for the children of his neighborhood.

After mowing the vacant lots because he things neighborhoods look better when the grass is cut, he wondered how he could take things to the next level.

detroit dadAccording to the Detroit FreePress, Inspired by an outdoor movie screen he saw at Campus Martius Park, Davis decided to build his own, using sheets of wood spray-painted white that he positioned on top of a metal stand. On warm nights, his neighbors gather around on lawn chairs as Davis uses a projector to play kid-friendly movies and music videos.

“Everybody comes out, about 10 to 15 people. … and then some people, they just sit on their porch and watch it, and it’s all good. It’s beautiful, lovely,” he said.

Davis did not stop there. He then went on to put up an area for weight lifting with bench press, dumbbells and a mirror in case the adults want to come out and get involved. There is a play set for smaller kids and swings for older ones. Basketballs, footballs and toys all scattered around the yard are freely available to anyone that wants to come out and get involved.

The biggest addition and work Davis has done was to set up a year round go-kart track for the kids to enjoy. He collected over 500 tires from varies junkyards to create the border of the go-kart track. But the genius is he teachest the kids how to build and repair go-karts, since mechanics is his specialty.

Davis figures the kids can have fun with the go-karts, but learning how to fix them will teach them how machines work. Hopefully, they will be inspired to think independently on their own to create something new and fantastic in the future.

As Davis puts it, the children are our future.

The go-kart track doubles a field for football and soccer fields as well.

As you can see, this one man got tired of all the talk and dreams people have for the city of Detroit and his neighborhood. He got off his backside and made a difference.

What’s stopping you?

 

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