FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: City of Utica: Sonny Greco, 315-792-0110, cgreco@cityofutica.com
MetLife Foundation: Nandika Madgavkar, 908-340-7537, nmadgavkar@metlife.com
KaBOOM!: Bruno Tager, 202-464-6162, btager@kaboom.org
200 Volunteers Improve Kids’ Futures with Play
MetLife Foundation, City of Utica, Boys & Girls Club of Mohawk Valley, KaBOOM! Team Up to Build New Playground
Saturday, October 31, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Photo/Interview Opportunities Available
WHAT: | More than 200 volunteers from MetLife (@MetLife), City of Utica (@CityofUtica), Boys & Girls Club of Mohawk Valley, organizers from KaBOOM! (@kaboom) and residents of the Utica community will join forces on Saturday, October 31, to build a new playground at Parkway Center. The design is based on children’s drawings created at a special event in September. Funding for the playground is made possible by the generous support of the MetLife Foundation.
If organizations are interested in volunteering or providing in-kind donations of food for this event, please contact Lonnie Jenkins at (315) 223-4320 or via e-mail ljenkins@cityofutica.com.
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WHY: | With all the exciting development and revitalization taking place in Utica, it is vitally important we continue to make our City an attractive place for young families to work, live and play. The construction of a brand new playground goes a long way in achieving this objective because it is more than just a playground. It’s a brain-expander, friend-maker, and muscle-builder. Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a productive adult. It can transform children from sedentary, bored and solitary to physically, mentally and socially active. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive because #playmatters to all kids.
Currently, there is no playground equipment at the Parkway Center. This new playground will provide the kids in the surrounding community with a safe, accessible place to play.
The playground will be the 28th built by MetLife Foundation and KaBOOM!. Through this partnership, more children will have the joyful childhood filled with play they deserve. MetLife Foundation supports KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child’s right to balanced and active play at home, at school and in the community.
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WHEN: | Saturday, October 31 | |
| 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 am 11:00 am to 1:00 pm 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 pm 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 pm | Kick-off ceremony and volunteer deployment Best viewing of playground construction Final construction phase and adjustments Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate new play area |
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WHERE: | Parkway Center 220 Memorial Parkway Utica, NY 13502 | |
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WHO: Hundreds of volunteers from the community
| Mayor Robert Palmieri, City of Utica Hundreds of volunteers from the community Brian Sciortino, Vice President, MetLife Dental & Vision Wayne Baran, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Mohawk Valley
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VISUALS: A visit from MetLife’s mascot, Snoopy
Before and after shots of the site
Volunteers assembling brightly colored playground equipment
Volunteers moving 42,120 square feet of safety surfacing by hand
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground
City of Utica
Utica is unique, possessing the ethnic and cultural diversity of an international urban center while maintaining the warmth and charm one would expect in a small town. We take pride in that Utica is considered to be one of the most diverse cities in the United States with over 42 languages spoken in our public high school. Young people make up a large segment of Utica’s population which greatly contributes to our vibrancy and quality of life. Our slogan, “Utica Starts with You!” has is resonated with local entrepreneurs as our Historic Bagg’s Square and Downtown have experience unprecedented growth and investment over the past several years. While in Utica one can enjoy the amenities of a major city such as the Utica Zoo, Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute, Stanley Theatre, Valley View Golf Course, Val Bialas Ski Center, Saranac Brewery and the Utica Memorial Auditorium, home of the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and the Utica College Pioneers. With six institutes of higher learning, Utica provides great options for the quality of education and career opportunities. With billions of dollars being invested in Nanotechnology at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica will be at the forefront of international and transformative development. For more information please visit us at www.cityofutica.com.
Boys & Girls Club of Mohawk Valley
"The primary mission of the Boys and Girls Club of the Mohawk Valley is to enhance the quality of life of our community's youth, inspire them to achieve their potential and grow as productive, responsible and caring citizens."
MetLife
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (“MetLife”), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.
MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its founding through the end of 2014, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $670 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. Today, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing financial inclusion, committing $200 million to help build a secure future for individuals and communities around the world. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.
KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,300 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 8.1 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.
Mayor
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Michael Galime1 Kennedy Plaza
Utica, New York 13502
(315) 792-0100