With exuberant kids from the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club leading the way, the Carolina Panthers and Lowe's celebrated the community ribbon cutting for the refurbished Play 60 Challenge Course play space at Mecklenburg County's Freedom Park September 10. The kids were exhorted on by Panthers players Efe Obada and Torrey Smith as they put the updated Challenge Course through its paces. The $250,000 renovation adds a variety of new and exciting obstacles designed to develop agility, balance and coordination while also retaining some of the popular play space's favorite elements.

"The Freedom Park Play 60 Challenge Course has established itself as a flagship play space in Mecklenburg County," said Panthers Director of Community Relations Riley Fields. "The shared vision between the team, Lowe's and Mecklenburg County has created an even more engaging play space for kids and families. It really is a destination playground that can best be described as NFL Combine meets Ninja Warrior."

Nearly 60 Lowe's Heroes volunteers were instrumental in the construction of the play space by assembling the playground's dynamic framework and pouring 43,000 pounds of Sakrete concrete to anchor the course in place.

The original Play 60 Challenge Course quickly became an iconic fixture at Freedom Park after its initial opening in 2013. The updated play innovative space will continue to draw children, families and school groups from across the region. Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation estimates 65,000 people use the play space each year.  

The Freedom Park Play 60 Challenge Course adds to the family of play spaces that have developed in partnership between the team and Lowe's and joins a similar Challenge Course that was unveiled at Reedy Creek Park in northeast Charlotte in 2017.