Washington State Play Structure Maker Makes Iraqi Kids' Day

Students at Al Zuhor School for Girls in Basra, Iraq try out a play structure donated by Washington State-based BigToys and installed by the charity group Save the Children.

Olympia, Wash., -- School children in Southern Iraq are discovering a new way to play, thanks to a playground donated by U.S. manufacturer BigToys. Working in partnership with Save the Children, Big Toys shipped the playground to the Middle East, while Save the Children found an appropriate site and installed it at the Al Zuhor School for Girls in Basra.

?EUR??,,????'??Seeing the delight on the faces of the children is a pure joy for all of us involved in the effort,?EUR??,,????'?? said Tim Madeley, BigToys' president and owner. ?EUR??,,????'??I had been researching charitable opportunities and discovered through Save the Children the need for new playground equipment in Iraq. While we may have different opinions about the war in Iraq, we can agree that the children in this region have suffered more than any of us can imagine. A new BigToys playground will, in a small way, bring some much-needed happiness to a group of these children.?EUR??,,????'??

Save the Children, www.savethechildren.org , is the leading independent organization that works to make lasting, positive change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. In Basra in southern Iraq, Save the Children employs more than 150 Iraqi aid workers.

In the last year, the organization has been working with more than 50 rural primary schools to establish recreation activities for children, train teachers in land mine awareness and child-focused teaching methods and to restock and rehabilitate schools. In addition, Save the Children has established 30 childrens groups to identify and address challenges facing their schools and communities. BigToys is based in Olympia, Wash.