The Target Foundation Commits $75k to Walnut Hill Playground Project; Help us Reach our Project Goal!

Improvements are coming to Walnut Hill Playground! The Target Foundation recently committed an additional $75,000 toward the next phase of upgrades for this community space, bringing their total investment to $225,000.

Our fundraising efforts to bring improvements to the Walnut Hill Community playground, located at 4700 Sansom Street, hit another important milestone thanks to another $75,000 investment from the Target Foundation, bringing their total contributions to this project to $225,000. The effort to improve the playground is a collaboration between UCD’s landscaping venture Green City Works, local non-profit Do Moore Good, and the Walnut Hill Community Association to bring enhancements to this beloved community space.

This generous funding marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to create a welcoming, vibrant, and multigenerational public space for our Walnut Hill neighbors. UCD is excited to be a part of the dynamic team working to create a gathering place and safe community asset for all ages. The Walnut Hill Community Playground (WHCP) (4700 Sansom Street) sees approximately 9,000 visitors a year, with the average visitor coming to the park three times per week and spending over an hour in the space. Despite being well-trafficked, the playground suffered from unsafe surfaces before being fixed in Phase 1 of this rehabilitation. New amenities like shade awnings and picnic tables are currently being added in Phase 2, and replacing the outdated play equipment is in the works for Phase 3.

The Walnut Hill Playground is dedicated to Alice Jones, a community leader who dedicated her life to her neighborhood. The push to rehab the playground is largely being spearheaded by her great-grandson, Shuja Moore, who after serving 12 years in prison, has been determined to carry on her legacy of positive community change alongside the Walnut Hill Community Association (WHCA).

The Walnut Hill Playground revitalization project is nearly complete, but we need your support to carry it home. There is approximately $104,000 left to raise as of 7/21/2026. Consider making a gift to directly fund the new, safer play equipment our neighborhood’s children have been waiting for. From a neighbor giving what they can to a business making a major investment, every contribution brings us closer to a playground Walnut Hill will cherish for decades. Donate here or contact Asia Whittenberger at awhittenberger@universitycity.org for major gifts.

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Volunteers smile and talk as they work to fix the playground floor
Volunteers take a break from removing the playground’s crumbling rubber tiles

This generous funding marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to create a welcoming, vibrant, and multigenerational public space for our Walnut Hill neighbors. UCD is excited to be a part of the dynamic team working to create a gathering place and safe community asset for all ages.

The initial $75,000 investment was used to remediate safety concerns at the playground, namely replacing and grading the existing play surface with new rubber tiles. The Target Foundation’s generous additional support will fund more upgrades, including:

This next phase of improvements builds on our goal of making public spaces that meet the needs of the entire community. We’re deeply grateful to Target for their partnership and their belief in the power of community spaces.

Learn more about the Walnut Hill Playground project, and stay tuned for more updates!