Neighborhood Ninjas, in collaboration with Area 10 Rotary Clubs, is raising funds to build a Ninja Warrior playground in Wilmington, DE! Neighborhood Ninjas will be hosting a silent auction in conjunction with a Rotary Club fundraiser dinner. Attendance is estimated at 200.

Why a Ninja Warrior playground in Wilmington? 

Unlike traditional playgrounds, which are typically built with elementary aged and younger children in mind, the ninja playground would be an obstacle-based playground designed to capture the imagination of older children, teens, and adults, while simultaneously encouraging family activity, time outdoors, regular (and accessible) movement, and growth mindset through altering perceived ability levels. Neighborhood Ninjas uses the sport of American Ninja Warrior to help under served youth develop active lifestyles, confidence, connection, compassion and resilience. Through their trauma-informed mentorship, scholarship opportunities, and community-building programs, we help low-income and underrepresented youth build social-emotional skills and a growth mindset in a safe, active environment intentionally designed to spread community, connection, and compassion.  

The cost of the project is estimated at $160,000. This project will build one new playground, designed to serve people of all ages—but particularly teens, young adults, and adults—from Wilmington, Delaware and the surrounding area. Despite being one of the smallest cities to be included in a major metro area, Wilmington has high rates of concentrated poverty (racially and geographically), elevated murder rates, and limited avenues for economic mobility. The Center for Disease Control reports that in some of the small city’s more violent neighborhoods, 60 percent of children have experienced trauma while only a fifth of children living in the rest of Delaware has this type of experience.