What's bright turquoise, orange and purple and loved by children ranging from toddlers to teenagers in the Irishtown neighborhood of Carnegie?

It's the new play apparatus in Irishtown Park at Sixth Street and Diamond Way, of course. It was assembled within a six-hour time span last Thursday by about 250 volunteers, including 70 Home Depot employees.

	Pam Panchak, Post-Gazette Dave Vaglia, of Mt. Lebanon, works on leveling the Cabana Hut for the Toddler Town apparatus, which is among new playground equipment at Irishtown Park in Carnegie. He was one of some 200 volunteers who turned out for the one-day construction "blitz" to build the playground. Click photo for larger image.

"I'm glad it's here. I'll probably bring my grandson here every day," Cindy White said Monday afternoon as she watched the boy, Peter Klein, 18 months, try out the park's new attractions.

Besides the monkey bars, swings, climbing wall, three-section slide, tunnel and drums, the park is brightened by a colorful mural on the back of the adjacent Serafin Printing building and a painted black chalkboard on the building's side for kids to draw and doodle.

In addition to Peter, seven children of various ages were scampering about the park, too, each eager to show off their skills on the playground toys.

That the new park is a reality even has organizers amazed.

"Ten months ago it was just an idea," said Gary Ritter, of the Carnegie Action Network, one of five task forces established after the borough became part of the Blueprint Communities initiative in 2005.

The committee met weekly to plan the park improvement.

Then member Leigh White wrote a grant application to KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., which provided Carnegie with a $50,000 grant under its Operation Playground program. Local sources were required to raise a $10,000 match.

Besides CAN, other groups that played key roles in the new park are the Greater Chartiers Valley Community Outreach, Adventist Community Services, Carnegie Borough and All Saints Polish National Catholic Church.

"They opened their doors to their church and fed everybody and did a terrific job," Mr. Ritter said.

Council member Dorothy Kelly said the park is an example of what can be accomplished when individuals work together.

"You can see what the power of the people can do," she said.