From the city of Apopka:
In less than eight hours, more than 200 volunteers from Foresters Financial, the city of Apopka and non-profit KaBOOM! built the new Lake Avenue Park playground, which will serve more than 1,200 children and their families in the local community for years to come.
“We believe in enriching lives and building strong communities – that’s our purpose,” said Tony Garcia, president and CEO of Foresters Financial. “Playgrounds are important because they provide a public space where children can play safely, families can spend quality time and the community can come together. An investment in a playground is an investment in community, and we are happy to provide the Apopka 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 January when community members met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial to design their dream playground. The drawings inspired the final playground design.
Foresters Financial, an international financial services provider, helps families reach their financial goals, protect themselves and make a lasting difference in their communities.
Since 2006, Foresters has invested more than $13 million with KaBOOM! to build more than 140 playgrounds across the US and Canada by the end of 2017. Over their 15-year lifespan, these playgrounds will help to strengthen the community and provide more than 5 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together.
“This playground is an ideal partnership for the Apopka community to come together with KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial to create a truly special place for kids, where they can play, share and grow together,” said Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer.
Green spaces and safe play structures where children and families can enjoy and spend time together are sparse in many high density communities. Playing outdoors is an important part of every child’s healthy development and the creation of this new playground will allow thousands of children to play safely and be active in their community.
Foresters Financial is a KaBOOM! Founding Partner and National Partner. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to ensuring that all kids get the balance and active play they need to thrive.
An expanded version of this story, as well as more pictures, will appear in the Friday, April 14, edition of The Apopka Chief.
