Let's Play: Designed by Kids, Built by Volunteers
Posted July 20, 2012 in Press Releases
Providence House, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! Team up to build new playground in just one day for Cleveland children
WHAT: More than 200 volunteers from Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Providence House, organizers from KaBOOM!, and residents of the local community will join forces on Friday, July 20 to build a new playground at Providence House. The new playground’s design is based on drawings created by children in the community who participated in a Design Day event in June.
WHY: The project is part of Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM! to build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America. Via Let’s Play grants and projects in 2011, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! built or improved 528 playgrounds, benefitting an estimated 1.3 million children during the lifetime of the playgrounds. Dr Pepper Snapple Group is also a member of the leadership circle within the KaBOOM! National Partner Program.
Providence House is one of the nation’s longest operating crisis nurseries offering emergency safe haven and services to children at risk of abuse or neglect, but the children served by the organization do not currently have a playground to enjoy. Providence House is committed to protecting children, empowering families, and building safer communities. The new playground will provide more than 200 at-risk children in the Cleveland community with a safe place to play each year.
Today’s kids spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, socially and cognitively. Children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy and Providence House is proud to Partner with KaBOOM! to provide a safe and fun place for children in the community to play.
WHEN: Friday, July 20
8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Kick off ceremony and volunteer deployment
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Best viewing of playground construction
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Final construction phase and adjustments
2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate new play area
(Note: all times approximate)
WHERE: Providence House
2050 West 32nd Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
WHO: Hundreds of volunteers from the community
VISUALS: Before and after shots of the site Volunteers assembling brightly colored playground equipment Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground.
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About Providence House
Providence House is one of the nation’s first crisis nurseries offering emergency shelter and care to children at risk for abuse and neglect. More than a children’s shelter, we provide families a free, voluntary option to safely remove their children from crisis and a safe, loving haven with quality early childcare services. Our holistic services include education, mentoring, case management and aftercare focused on family preservation. The primary goals of our services are to protect children from abuse and neglect, empower and strengthen fragile families, and build safer communities for every child. Providence House serves nearly 200 infants and children each year and partners with nearly 30 community organizations who help us stabilize families in crisis. Our results are noteworthy: last year 98% of our children were reunified with their parent(s) following an average length of stay of 28 days and only 30% have any engagement with the public child welfare system. For more information, visit provhouse.org.
Emily Perry, Providence House
216-651-5982 x226
emilyp@provhouse.org
About Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott's, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Penafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.
Alexandra Rogers, Ketchum on behalf of Dr Pepper Snapple Group
646-935-3921
alexandra.rogers@ketchum.com
About Let's Play
Let’s Play is a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) to get kids and families active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!, the national non-profit that’s saving play. Together, through Let’s Play, DPS and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America. For more information, visit LetsPlay.com or Facebook.com/LetsPlay.
About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this play deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built more than 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller About KaBOOM! KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!
785-320-2137
mvietti@kaboom.org
