Playground will enhance family and community well-being
GREENSBORO, NC, May 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - The Greensboro community was revitalized today thanks to a new playground built at Camp Weaver. In less than eight hours, more than 200 volunteers from ForestersTM, YMCA Camp Weaver and non-profit KaBOOM! created the new play space, which will serve more than 97,500 children and their families in the local community for years to come.
"A community's well-being starts with a child's well-being," said Kasia Czarski, senior vice president, chief membership and marketing officer, Foresters. "Playgrounds are important to communities, providing an open space where families spend quality time together and where children can play safely. We believe that an investment in a playground is an investment in family well-being, and we are happy to provide the Greensboro community with a place that families can enjoy for years to come."
The design for the new playground is based on drawings created by neighborhood children at a special Design Day event held in April when community members met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters to design their dream playground. The drawings inspired the final playground design.
Since 2006, Foresters has invested over $10 million with KaBOOM! to build almost 120 playgrounds across the US and Canada by the end of 2015. Over their 15 year lifespan, these playgrounds will provide more than 3 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together and enhance family well-being.
"Bringing new opportunities for unplugged play into our community is an important part of our focus at YMCA Camp Weaver, which is nurturing the potential of children and teens and building healthy spirits, minds, and bodies," said Jamie Cosson, YMCA Camp Weaver Executive Director. "We're looking forward to watching our campers this summer engage with each other in imaginative play on this new playground."
Another way Foresters advocates for family well-being is through its Tech Timeout' challenge, which encourages families to take a pledge to turn off all electronic devices for an hour a day for one week and spend quality time together. For more details, visit techtimeout.com.
Foresters is a founding member of the KaBOOM! Leadership Circle - a group of organizations providing long-term guidance and support to KaBOOM! and its mission. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children get the balance of active play they need to become healthy and successful adults because playmatters.
YMCA Camp Weaver
YMCA Camp Weaver is a world class facility offering summer overnight camp, day camp, outdoor education for schools, team building and retreats. Our primary focus is building core values through mentorship of excellent role models and self- confidence through building activity and social skills. Camp Weaver prepares kids for school and life. Visit Camp Weaver online at CampWeaver.org or Facebook.com/YMCACampWeaver.
Foresters
For 140 years, Foresters', an international financial services provider, has fulfilled its purpose to enhance family well-being for its members and the communities where they live. A fraternal benefit society, Foresters offers quality life insurance and investment products, unique member benefits and inspiring community activities. Foresters shares its financial strength with more than one million members in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit foresters.com, facebook.com/foresters and techtimeout.com.
Foresters' is the trade name and a trademark of The Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9; its subsidiaries are licensed to use this mark.
KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to the bold new goal of ensuring that all children, particularly the 16 million American children living in poverty, get the balance of active play they need to become healthy and successful adults. KaBOOM! has been a powerful champion for play since its founding in 1996, working with partners to build, improve and open more than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1,000,000 volunteers and serve more than 6,600,000 children. KaBOOM! creates and catalyzes great places to play, inspires, empowers and leads play advocates, and educates and elevates the societal conversation about the importance of play in children's lives. For more information, visit kaboom.org/act or follow the conversation on why playmatters at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.
SOURCE Foresters
