CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A new backyard playset can mean everything to a child diagnosed with cancer.
That’s why Roc Solid Foundation based out of Chesapeake matches one to a child and builds it for them.
However, the pandemic forced them to get creative with their process.
Thus, the creation of Roc Solid On Demand. It allows them to ship the playsets to children.
Founder Eric Newman had pediatric cancer, so it’s an initiative close to his heart.
“Regardless of the pandemic, kids lose out on play. They can’t go to public parks and so they’re in confined so [Roc Solid On Demand] gets the playset to them. They allow their friends and family they’ve been quarantined with to build the playset and provide a safe space,” Newman said.
He says when the kids first see their playset, for that moment in time, they’ve beat cancer.
For one little girl, Newman says climbing on her playset helped fix her limp.
Now, he says they need the public’s help sponsoring the last ones.
So far, they have 200 kids on the wait list. Each playground is $1,500.
Newman says they only need to raise $30,000 more for 20 more playsets to reach their goal.
“We can’t change the fact that kids have cancer. We can’t as clearly as I’m looking at you. But right now, what we can do is we can change how they live with it. I’m just believing the community is going to show up like they’ve always done for the last 12 years for Roc Solid Foundation,” he said.
Whether a person can donate a dollar, or thousands, he says every little bit will help a child have hope for the future.
If you’re interested in donating, click here.
