Community members volunteer their time to create a new play space for Pasadena youth
HOUSTON, Feb. 19 – Nearly 80 Allstate agency owners and employees joined Gardens Elementary staff and students, KaBOOM! staff and Houston-area community members to transform an empty site into a kid-inspired, state-of-the-art playground in just six hours today. The build took place at Gardens Elementary in Pasadena, a community impacted by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
During the community build day, volunteers worked on various playground assembly projects and students from Gardens Elementary and the local middle school entertained them with a spirit cheer and a band performance. The ribbon-cutting ceremony gave the Pasadena community its first look at the finished playground, which will provide more than 1,200 Pasadena students with a place to come together to play as a community. The ceremony also featured remarks from Pasadena Allstate agency owner Oscar Meza, Allstate Texas Region Corporate Relations Senior Manager Roberto DeLeon, Gardens Elementary Associate Superintendent for Projects, Planning, and Communications Dr. Troy McCarley, Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner and KaBOOM! project manager Gabby Mena.
“We’re committed to helping Texas communities recover from this disaster, which is why we are honored to be a part of this effort and bringing a new space for play in Pasadena,” said Larry Sedillo, Allstate Texas field senior vice president. “We’re very proud of our Allstate agency owners and employees who have volunteered for this project. It’s another example of their incredible passion for giving back to local communities.”
The playground build was made possible by an Allstate Foundation grant awarded to KaBOOM!, which helped identify the location and guide the design of the new playground. The grant is part of Allstate and The Allstate Foundation’s $1.5 million commitment to assist people and communities affected by Hurricane Harvey.
“Gardens Elementary is thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with The Allstate Foundation and KaBOOM! on this project, which will undoubtedly boost the morale of our students and staff,” said Lindsey Lesniewski, Gardens Elementary principal. “Providing our students with safe and creative opportunities to play is our priority, particularly after the damage we experienced from Hurricane Harvey. All of us at Gardens Elementary thank our partners for making this playground possible.”
In December, students from the surrounding community came together to draw their dream playground for the Gardens Elementary site. The final playground design was inspired by their drawings.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.