Press Release from City of Uvalde: Gloria Resma, Parks and Recreation Manager
12-09-25

UVALDE, Tex. (Dec. 18, 2025) – The City of Uvalde and national nonprofit KABOOM! participated in a plenary session at the Texas Children in Nature Network Summit, where leaders from Uvalde came together to share how play and access to nature can support children’s health, reclaim joy, and pave a way towards long-term resilience.

The panel, hosted by Jen DeMelo, Vice President of Innovation at KABOOM!, the national nonprofit committed to end playspace inequity, featured the following speakers:

• Gloria Resma, City of Uvalde Parks and Recreation Manager
• Tammie Sinclair, Director, El Progreso Memorial Library
• Mayra Vasquez, Vice President, Rotary Club of Uvalde
• Dolly Schultz, U.S. Navy Veteran and American Legion Representative

Panelists discussed the transformative power of play in the wake of tragedy, the role of participatory design in reclaiming purpose and joy, and the community’s evolution in creating inclusive playspaces and expanding access to nature.

KABOOM! expressed deep gratitude to the City of Uvalde for its steadfast leadership and partnership.

Together, KABOOM! and the City have created six new playspaces, with two additional projects planned for 2026, ensuring more children and families have joyful, safe places to play and connect.

“Uvalde continues to show what’s possible when a community comes together to center the well-being of its kids,” said Jen DeMelo, Vice President of Innovation at KABOOM!. “Play and access to nature aren’t just nice-to-haves. They are essential for children’s physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Playing in nature helps kids build confidence, strengthen relationships, process big feelings, and reconnect with joy. The leadership and partnership we’ve experienced here in Uvalde is extraordinary, and it’s fueling real progress toward playspace equity. KABOOM! is proud to stand with Uvalde as they create inclusive, joyful spaces where every child can heal, grow, and thrive.”

As the year comes to a close, KABOOM! celebrates the collaboration, creativity, and resilience that make this partnership and pursuit towards playspace equity in Uvalde possible.

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About the City of Uvalde
The City of Uvalde suffered an unimaginable tragedy on May 24, 2022, with the Robb Elementary School shooting—a day that forever changed our community. In the midst of our grief, KABOOM stepped forward with compassion and support, helping us transform parks that were long overdue for care. Their partnership created more than just improved spaces; it offered our community a place to breathe again, to gather, to remember, and to begin healing together. During one of the darkest moments in our history, these renewed parks became symbols of hope, purpose, and unity for the people of Uvalde.

About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that more than 12 million kids have equitable access to the critical benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. KABOOM! continues to make progress on its 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity through new partnerships with a goal of accelerating efforts in 25 municipal systems toward achieving their mission at scale across the United States. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Kaboom! invites community to help design new playground at Esperanza Park

“A new playground is coming to Esperanza Park and we’re looking for designers,” are the words on a Kaboom! flier announcing a design meetup at El Progreso Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 8th at 11:30 AM. Children and adults are invited to participate and submit designs both at the February 8th meetup and virtually through a Vision Study through the Kaboom! Esperanza Vision website “KABOOM!, the City of Uvalde, and The CarMax Foundation are building a new playground at Esperanza Park this April! We want you to be a part of designing this playground! Come share your ideas at a Design Event following Story Hour at El Progreso Memorial Library on February 8 at 11:30AM. You can also share your ideas at https://tinyurl.com/EsperanzaVision ,” an official statement released by Kaboom! reads.
The playground design survey will close at 12:01 AM on February 9 according to Kaboom! Once the designs are finalized Kaboom! will share the community’s ideas with the manufacturer.
Bicki Rudman has been named as Kaboom! Project Director for the Esperanza Park Project.

The CarMax Foundation is funding the project, and volunteers from the foundation will be joining the community on the April 20 Build Day. And the Rotary Club of Uvalde has generously agreed to provide additional partnership on the ground to help support the project.

120th Birthday Celebration of  El Progreso Memorial Library’s Founding A very special birthday cake will be offered at the noon meeting of El Progreso Club following the program of the fascinating Kincaid Rock Shelters in Sabinal. The Kincaid Stone Pavement is the oldest known structural feature in North America. This meeting is FREE and open to the public.

Art and Smart in El Progreso Meeting Room on Saturday February 11th from 10 AM to Noon with Children’s Bereavement Center featuring creative Themed Valentine’s art projects, treats and fun.

CASHFLOW with Namen Garg-
Wednesday, February 15th Noon to 1 PM.
Bring your lunch to El Progreso Meeting Room

Mark Fuller, Face Painter an Balloon Artist at 10:30 AM, Thursday, February 16th

Non Stoop Laughs from Beginning to end. Will have fascinating and balloons after the show as long as supplies last.

“A new playground is coming to Esperanza Park and we’re looking for designers,” are the words on a Kaboom! flier announcing a design meetup at El Progreso Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 8th at 11:30 AM.  Children and adults are invited to participate and  submit designs both at the February 8th meetup and virtually through a Vision Study through the Kaboom!  Esperanza Vision website 

“KABOOM!, the City of Uvalde, and The CarMax Foundation are building a new playground at Esperanza Park this April! We want you to be a part of designing this playground! Come share your ideas at a Design Event following Story Hour at El Progreso Memorial Library on February 8 at 11:30AM. You can also share your ideas at https://tinyurl.com/EsperanzaVision ,”   an official statement released by Kaboom! reads.

The playground design survey will close at 12:01AM on February 9 according to Kaboom! Once the designs are finalized Kaboom! will share the community’s ideas with the manufacturer. 

Bicki Rudd has been named as Kaboom! Project Director for the Esperanza Park Project.  The CarMax Foundation is funding the project, and volunteers from the foundation will be joining the community on the April 20 Build Day. And the Rotary Club of Uvalde has generously agreed to provide additional partnership on the ground to help support the project.

  Kaboom! will once again be coming back to Uvalde in April of 2022 with a new playground project in mind, this time at Esperanza Park located on Grove Street in Uvalde, Texas according to Kaboom! organizer Jennifer Diamond who spoke to the Rotary Club of Uvalde Thursday, January 5th, at noon via Zoom at the Club’s regularly scheduled meeting.

The build dates for the project are Tuesday, April 18th through Thursday, April 20th, 2022.

“We will be working with the community and the City and many of the residents to build a new playground,”  Diamond said. She went on to say she is expecting to have some volunteers for the funding program.

After Diamond’s presentation. The Rotary Club of Uvalde voted to partner with Kaboom! to help coordinate the effort and to recruit volunteers and prepare the logistics.

Diamond said the park project they are planning will be smaller than the DeLeon Park Playground which was constructed in October 2022. “It will be smaller as the park itself is smaller. It will be closer to 2500 square feet,” Diamond said

The big build day is slated for Thursday, April 20th and they are looking for 50 to 100 volunteers on that day according to Diamond.