On May 26th, 2011, many children and families were delighted to attend the grand opening of two new playgrounds at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The Armed Forces Families Foundation contributed $45,000 for the new playgrounds with money raised during an annual fundraiser held at area Taco Bell restaurants.
The new playgrounds were built at the main sports complex where service members and their families compete in intramural sports and other recreational events. The Barrancas Sports area had to be completely renovated after the damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, but a playground had not been built due to budget constraints.

The new playgrounds are for children ages 2 to 5 years old, and 5 to 12 years old. Each playground has slides, climbing equipment and other age-appropriate features. The Armed Forces Families Foundation seeks to fund projects that will positively impact military families for years to come, and the new playgrounds are sure to fit the bill.