Bernalillo’s Loretto Park will be a hive of activity Thursday as hundreds of volunteers gear up to install an entire playground in just a few hours.

The project is a collaboration between PB&J Family Services Therapeutic Pre-School, the town of Bernalillo, Sandoval County, local businesses, Humana Inc. and KaBOOM.

The latter is a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that works to bring more outdoor play and exercise opportunities to children in communities nationwide. KaBOOM has partnered with corporations, such as the health care insurer Humana, to build more than 2,000 playgrounds throughout the country.

	Build a Playground in a Day Project When: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 Where: Loretto Park, behind PB&J Family Services/Bernalillo Senior Center, 255 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo What: PB&J, Humana Inc., KaBOOM and the community build an all-ages playground To Volunteer: Call PB&J at 867-2356; tools and food provided

The 2,800-square-foot playground area in Bernalillo will be an all-ages facility, with play equipment for children and fitness stations for adults.

The multigenerational aspect of the project was a critical factor in helping win support from Humana, which provided most of the funding, said KaBOOM spokesman Mike Vietti.

PB&J’s Bernalillo center provides support services for preschool children and their parents from several Sandoval County communities. It is next door to the Sandoval County Bernalillo Senior Center.

The playground will be in a section of Loretto Park just behind the two centers.

PB&J worked with KaBoom to secure the project. The town provided land; the town, Sandoval County and Rio Rancho construction company Brycon supplied workers to help prepare the site, said PB&J development director Dina Ma’ayan.

On Thursday, she expects between 250 and 300 volunteers – from town residents and civic groups like Kiwanis, Civitan, Youth Conservation Corps and Job Corps – to turn up to help build the playground.

“Some will be laying out screws, some laying gravel, some wrenching bolts,” Ma’ayan said.

Work is scheduled to start about 9 a.m. and finish by midafternoon. Volunteers should show up at 8:30 a.m, Ma’ayan said