After years of publicity, fundraising, and galvanizing community support, Ping Pong Baltimore has accomplished one of its longtime goals: Installing a permanent ping pong table in Wyman Park Dell.
The idea arose out of community building workshops dating back to 2011, which happened to be attended by representatives from Friends of Wyman Park Dell, landscape architecture/urban design firm Mahan Rykiel Associates, and Ping Pong Baltimore: Why not put a ping pong table in the park? Fast forward three years, one successful online fundraising campaign, several grants, and lots of city paperwork later, and there’s now a ping pong table installed on a concrete pad near the corner of 29th and Charles Streets.
The response has been so positive that the group is already thinking about what it would take to install similar tables in Patterson Park, and/or in Hampden’s Roosevelt Park. “It was always the hope that the successful completion of the ping pong in the park project at Wyman park dell would pioneer the way for other ping pong tables at other parks,” Ping Pong Baltimore’s Rolando Demen wrote on Facebook.
Oh, and FYI: the new table is BYOP (bring your own paddle). As Alex notes in his comment below, there are paddles & balls provided for your ping pong pleasure!
Thanks for covering this! By the way, there are paddles for people to use next to the table (and balls), so you can still play if you come without a paddle.
We are now putting the paddles and balls into a hiding spot near the table. See the Facebook group about exact location.