Delta Air Lines has teamed up with KaBOOM! to build a new playground at Hiawatha Leadership Academy–Northrop in Minneapolis. This marks Delta’s first playground project in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, following previous builds in Seattle and Los Angeles, and with a fifth playground scheduled to open in Atlanta in October.
“Delta people strive to be good stewards of the communities where we live, work and serve with community organizations like KaBOOM! and the Hiawatha Leadership Academy–Northrop,” said Andy Zarras, vice president of airport customer service for Minneapolis–St. Paul. “It’s a real testament to each member of the Delta team that we’re able to help make the Twin Cities an even better place where thousands of children have access to facilities that promote active, healthy lives.”
Through its Force for Global Good initiative, Delta supports efforts that improve quality of life in the communities it serves. For this one-day build, more than 150 community volunteers — including over 110 Delta employees — worked together to mix concrete, spread mulch, and assemble the playground structure in just six hours.
The collaboration with KaBOOM! reflects a shared commitment to creating safe, inclusive outdoor play spaces that encourage physical activity and social interaction for children. By investing volunteer time and resources, Delta and its partners helped deliver a lasting neighborhood asset that will benefit students and families for years to come.
Local volunteers, school staff and Delta team members coordinated closely to ensure the playground met community needs and safety standards. The project also provided an opportunity for hands-on community engagement, strengthening ties between the airline and the neighborhoods it serves while delivering a visible improvement to the school campus.
As part of its broader community efforts, Delta continues to identify opportunities to support play, education and health initiatives in regions where its employees live and work. Projects like the Hiawatha Leadership Academy–Northrop playground demonstrate how focused volunteer efforts can create meaningful, durable benefits for children and families.