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Volunteers for Omnicomcares, Jefferson Parish School System and KaBOOM! Forge Ahead with Plans to Build Playground for Gretna Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Mary Mouton
Omnicom PR Contact
504-261-4895
mary@moutonmedia.com
Mike Vietti
KaBOOM!
785-320-2137
mvietti@kaboom.org
Volunteers for Omnicomcares, Jefferson Parish School System and KaBOOM! Forge Ahead with Plans to Build Playground for Gretna Children
September 6, 2012, New Orleans, LA - More than 300 volunteers from Omnicom, Jefferson Parish Public School System, Johnson Gretna Park Elementary School, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community will move forward with plans to build a new playground at the school on Saturday, Sept. 8. The new playground's design is based on drawings created by children who participated in a Design Day event in May. In addition, several other projects will be implemented including two large "paint-by-numbers" murals on the interior and exterior of the school and the installation of 80 computers at the school.
Approximately 200 Omnicom volunteers will be travelling to New Orleans from around the country to participate in the project which has been planned for months. It is the second time Omnicomcares volunteers have helped New Orleans - they built a playground in 2007 to help the post-Katrina rebuilding effort.
The new playground will provide more than 600 children in the Gretna community with a safe place to play. Currently, the children who attend Johnson Gretna Park Elementary School do not have a playground to enjoy.
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, something KaBOOM! has been committed to since 1996.
The playground is the second built by KaBOOM! and Omnicom and is one of more than 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2012 in an effort to fulfill its vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.
WHEN: Saturday, September 8 (Note: all times approximate)
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
WHERE: Johnson Gretna Park Elementary School
1130 Gretna Blvd.
Gretna, LA 70053
WHO: Randy Weisenburger, CFO, Omnicom Group
Elizabeth Wren, Principal, Gretna Johnson Park Elementary School
Kathryn Lusk, Senior Project Manager, KaBOOM!
Ronnie C. Harris - Mayor of Gretna (invited)
Dr. James Meza - Acting Superintendent Jefferson Parish Public School System (invited)
Hundreds of volunteers from the school community and Omnicom
CONTACT:Omnicom PR Contact, Mary Mouton, 504-261-4895, mary@moutonmedia.com
Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!, 785-320-2137, mvietti@kaboom.org
