Listen to these numbers: Over 125 inflatable friends, more than a month to get it all set up, and thousands of big and little footsteps between Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Now, here’s the most important figure of all: After this season, around $40,000 worth of donations has been raised for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society over the past ten years.
Paulie’s Penguin Playground, at the corner of Indian Creek Parkway and Mur-Len, appeared due to a devastating loss followed by a practical joke.
Paul Craig, AKA Paulie, lost his Mother to leukemia several years ago.
Paul didn’t care much about Christmas that first year after his Mom passed away…or for a few holiday seasons after that.
Then, he saw some of these colorful inflatables and decided to play joke on his wife about her passion for penguins.
Out of that grew The Playground.
.@lnanderson has a "shivering" forecast for today?? pic.twitter.com/OGrFRSeUz6
— TJH (@THellhake) December 14, 2016
Now, they pack ‘em in. Hundreds on a weekday and thousands on the weekends.
Daycare kids stop by, nursing home groups make the trip and of course families show up as well.
It is about the only holiday display that’s as much fun during the day as it is in the darkness.
And, it always snows in this part of town…right on cue.
This year, Paul says it almost didn’t happen. He had surgery and was not going to be able to put everything in place. Friends and neighbors came to the rescue and Paulie’s Penguins are flying high.
Well, okay, they don’t really fly but they sure make holiday spirits soar!
.@joelkclive is touring #PauliesPlayground in @CityofOlatheKS for a good cause @LLSusa pic.twitter.com/7OXwLHJseM
— TJH (@THellhake) December 14, 2016
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Joel Nichols can be reached at joel.nichols@kclive.tv.
