Nonprofit KaBOOM! and SAP America help with the muscle --- and the money --- to get project done in six hours
PARK RIDGE, IL – October 19, 2011 – Undaunted by nagging wind, rain and cold, roughly 150 volunteers swooped onto the grounds of The Youth Campus in northwest Park Ridge this month to build a state-of-the-art playground that will serve youngsters for generations to come.
The playground --- with slides, swings and other traditional and non-traditional features, all with a nautical theme--- was conceived by kids in town and other children in foster care through The Youth Campus, which offers housing, counseling and education for abused and neglected children.
The Youth Campus, based at 733 N. Prospect Avenue, was founded 135 years ago as an orphanage, and has been serving troubled teenage girls in recent years. Now, it is transitioning toward a more residential setting for mostly younger boys and girls, who will live with foster families in six homes as part of what's being called the Foster Care Village.
To that end, the playground was assembled on October 19 in just six hours with the help of KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to saving play, and SAP America, a market leader in enterprise application software.. SAP America provided most of the funding, a significant but undisclosed amount.
"SAP has built 17 playgrounds. I was thrilled to learn that The Youth Campus would be our next build," said SAP America vice president, Jeff Palan. "I am familiar with the challenges faced by foster families. These families can use all the support we can give them to succeed."
Volunteers had been planning for the playground since August. Parts were ordered, permits secured and people recruited by a planning committee led by The Youth Campus' Junior Board and other community helpers.
The Youth Campus Junior Board relished the opportunity to take on such a wonderful project. "We are so excited to help the kids of The Youth Campus. Fun and play is something often missing from their lives," said chairman Danny DiStasio.
Park Ridge Community Women and HopeFest 2011 gave tremendous assistance. Several PRCW members recruited Core Power Yoga to warm up the volunteers, donations of photography, Starbucks coffee and workers for the build. HopeFest 2011 started the project by channeling a donation from Emerald Landscaping to prepare the site. Rotary Club of Park Ridge held its weekly meeting at the site during the build to show support.
To feed the amazing crew of volunteers, meals were provided by donations from several companies including Corner Bakery, Home Run Inn, Morningfield's and Pot Belly Sandwich Works. There was so much food from these sponsors that the excess was brought to the homeless by Uncle Pete.
About SAP America
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 172,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of Sybase) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com
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! 15 years ago 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 85,000 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 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
About The Youth Campus
Today, The Youth Campus gives hope for successful lives to abused and neglected children. Originally founded as an orphanage in 1876, The Youth Campus (TYC) has adapted its methods and expertise to the changing needs of vulnerable children. Through TYC’s work with these children, the emotional damage of their life experiences may be repaired. These children deserve a new start, often a new home and people who believe in them. The Park Ridge campus is currently in transition from Residential Treatment to Foster Care Village. For more information, go to www.theyouthcampus.org
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Contact
Maureen Connelly
The Youth Campus
312.243.0533 extension 363
mconnelly@theyouthcampus.org
SAVE THE DATE
Hope Lives Here
Gala
Friday, April 27
Park Ridge
Country Club
