OUR EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS AT WORK

Chattanooga, TN

On September 8, employees and their families from the corporate office, led by David Hill (GT), worked to enhance the play area for the child care program at Chattanooga Human Services. This group of volunteers erected swing bays donated by PlayCore along with a GeoDome, Balance Beam and Overhead Ladder, which were donated by Recreation Brands. By the end of the day this group had also pressure washed brick walls, sidewalks and awnings, refreshed mulch, and removed a stump within the play area. The child care staff sent a thank you letter with drawings by the children depicting their favorite part of the playground. Thanks to the Chattanooga team, for making a difference in these children's lives.

Chattanooga, TN

PlayCore's Chattanooga and Fort Payne offices assembled a team of 23 paddlers in May to compete in the 2012 Children's Hospital Foundation annual Dragon Boat Festival. The Erlanger Medical Center Children's Hospital serves more than 36,000 children each year, and we were thrilled to be able to support this wonderful cause. With a goal of $7,200, the PlayCore "SURVIVOARS" team organized several fundraising events which, along with PlayCore's corporate matching funds, allowed us to surpass our goal, with total funds raised coming in at $7,564!!
 

Janesville, WI

On August 17, the Day of Caring Employee Committee headed up a volunteer effort to assist some local senior citizens with home maintenance. Fourteen volunteers from Swing-N-Slide, including family members and friends, were dispatched across the city with the goal to complete all of the projects in one day. Thanks to everyone's hard work, the goal was accomplished.

Fort Payne, AL

During the April 27, 2011 tornadoes in the Southeast, Stamp Baptist Church sustained extensive damage. The church was rebuilt but the playground was still damaged, and the Southern Fulfullment Center volunteered to rebuild it. Several employees came out on Saturday May 19, 2012 to help make this revitalization happen.

Chandler, AZ

TotTurf Surfacing employee volunteers gathered at the Foundation for Blind Children on October 5, to roll coat an existing playground surface, providing children with a renewed and rejuvenated play environment. A picnic table was donated to add to the outdoor play area as well. The Foundation for Blind Children gives individuals access to opportunities such as learning, playing sports, and participating fully in the world around them that might otherwise be impossible for them to experience.

Mendota Heights, MN

Everlast Climbing held two service events this year in support of hunger relief. The kick-off event was a food drive held December 3-17, in which 72 pounds of food was collected for Second Harvest Heartland, the Upper Midwest's largest hunger-relief organization. This was enough to feed 60 people. On the evening of December 18, another team of volunteers distributed groceries at a nearby elementary school through the Meal for Minds program, a mobile food pantry which delivers fresh food and staples to schools for K– 12 students and families in need. The Everlast Climbing team enjoyed making a difference during this hands on event by sorting food, setting up stations, greeting families and putting food directly into the hands of hungry people in their own community. Each child left with 30-40 pounds of food.

Loveland, CO

Employees from Colorado Time Systems volunteered at the Fort Collins Senior Center for the Sundance Family Festival and Chili Cookoff. They spent the day at various stations (including, carriage rides, face painting, O'Dell's beer tasting, chili cook off, and a silent auction) throughout the facility. The senior center is ranked in the top ten seniors centers in the U.S. and their goal is to rank at number one. Funds were being raised to expand their building. The CTS team was a welcome addition and the coordinators of the event were most appreciative of their participation.

Fort Wayne, IN

In November employees from National Recreation Systems volunteered their time to install a walkway for the children as they enter and exit Imagine Master Academy. They made a concrete walkway to replace the dirt path and placed mulch in the area next to walkway and on the side of the school. In the small playground they also placed fresh mulch. Volunteers removed the old wood telescoping bleachers and installed five tip 'n roll bleachers. Everyone really enjoyed giving back to the community.

Plant City, FL

GT Grandstands held their Day of Caring in October at The MacDonald Training Center, which empowers people with disabilities. Employees of GT Grandstands sponsored an ice cream social for everyone at the center, where eighty members were served ice cream. GT Grandstands also provided the center with four Thanksgiving Day food baskets for families in need.

Minneapolis, MN

The Minneapolis Greenway is the centerpiece of the City of Minneapolis biking infrastructure and one of the reasons that Minneapolis was named "Most Bike Friendly City" by Bicycling Magazine in 2011. Dero has adopted a stretch of the railway-turned-bike-superhighway and volunteers two times a year to do clean up, weeding and planting of native species along the route.

Missoula, MT

Spectrum Aquatics joined the Missoula Parks and Recreation and other organizations to refurbish the pedestrian walkways at the Orange Street Tunnel on July 11. Over 40 volunteers spent the morning cleaning debris from the walkways, painting the walls and tunnel roof, and repairing the light fixtures. Thank you for giving back to the community where you live, work and play.