KABOOM! Playground Build Honors Resilience of New Orleans Community
Kid-designed Gentilly playground by Hancock Whitney, KABOOM!, and NORD sparks joy with ADA features and financial literacy games in New Orleans.
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Jenny Schuler
August 6, 2025 |
At Hancock Whitney, we’re committed to uplifting the communities we call home, and we’re thrilled to share our latest step in that journey. We’ve teamed up with KABOOM! and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORD) to bring a vibrant, kid-designed playground to the heart of Gentilly, a cherished New Orleans neighborhood.
Gentilly, home to over 21,000, blends small-town charm with big-city benefits. Its historic bungalows and ranch-style homes, shaded by towering, decades-old trees, reflect a rich history—but also a community profoundly impacted by Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago. The storm’s devastation left deep marks, yet the residents and businesses of Gentilly have shown remarkable resilience, steadily rebuilding and revitalizing the area. Still, one key element was missing: a dedicated space for children to play and grow.
That’s why Hancock Whitney chose Gentilly for our latest KABOOM! playground project. This new play space isn’t just about fun; it’s about creating a safe and welcoming spot for families while also boosting the neighborhood’s appeal for homeowners and local businesses alike. We’re proud to support Gentilly’s bright future and can’t wait to see the joy this playground brings to the kids and families who call this community home.
Design Day
In February, we launched the playground planning process with a Design Day, where neighborhood kids and adults came together to share their ideas for their dream playground. Staying true to the Hancock Whitney mission of empowering people to achieve their financial dreams, we added a fun financial education twist, encouraging kids to design their dream playground while staying within a budget.
With the community’s creative input guiding us, our Hancock Whitney team worked side-by-side with KABOOM! and NORD over the next several months. Together, we finalized a design that reflects Gentilly’s resilient spirit, secured permits, clarified roles, and ensured every detail was in place to bring this project to life.
It Takes a Village
Even with rain in the forecast, nearly 100 Hancock Whitney team members rolled up their sleeves in early May to bring the Gentilly community’s vision to life. In just eight hours, our associates transformed an empty lot outside the Milne Recreational Center into a vibrant, safe, and engaging playground—a place where kids can play, learn, and grow.
As the day wrapped up, we proudly unveiled the new play space to the neighborhood. This one-of-a-kind playground, customized with input from residents, features ADA-compliant equipment and interactive two-dimensional math and literacy games designed to introduce financial education in a fun and engaging way.
In the weeks and months since, countless children from near and far have flocked to this special spot, a playground that sparks curiosity and nurtures young minds. It’s a place that they can call their own, where kids can simply be kids, creating joyful memories in the heart of this beloved Gentilly neighborhood.
Committed to Serving People and Communities
At Hancock Whitney, our commitment to service shapes everything we do, from fostering vibrant communities where people love to live, work, and play to empowering the next generation. One of our top priorities is helping kids build a strong foundation for financial success through hands-on lessons and guidance from our bankers.
We’re proud to partner with KABOOM! and local leaders to create safe, engaging play spaces like the one in Gentilly, designed to nurture physical, mental, and financial well-being for children of all ages. Whether it’s providing resources that create new opportunities or equipping young people with the financial know-how to chase their dreams, Hancock Whitney is dedicated to building brighter futures and stronger tomorrows for our communities.
