On Saturday, April 12th, Jaguars Defensive Tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and Guard Will Rackley joined forces with Community Connections of Jacksonville and other partners as they built a one-of-a-kind KaBOOM! playground for children at the Sable Palms Apartments.  Marks and Rackley joined hundreds of volunteers as they each did their part to better the quality of life for the children in this neighborhood.

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.  The kids and adults at Sable Palms Apartments participated in designing the playground.  The state-of-the-art playground and community gardens were constructed as a result of fans at The Players Championship winning the 2013 Humana Walk-it Challenge.  This challenge was created to encourage golf fans to improve their health by walking and tracking their progress. 

Marks, who is a huge fan of golf and also a very active in the community, saw this as an opportunity to meet new people in the community while also giving the children in the neighborhood a safe and fun recreational space. 

"I had playgrounds and parks around me as a kid and I think it's great for these kids to have the same opportunities," Marks said.

Rackley, who is very involved in the NFL/Jaguars Play 60 Challenge initiative in the Jacksonville community, loved the opportunity, saying, "I think kids need places to exercise and play.  This brand new playground will allow these kids to have a reason to get out of the house and be physically active."   

Through the Play 60 Challenge, Rackley encourages kids to get out and play for at least 60 minutes a day.  Eating healthy and exercising plays an important role in the health of kids as they get older. Events like this show the strong connection the Jaguars have with the City of Jacksonville, as the team and players join our fans in helping to make the Jacksonville the best NFL city in the country.