McCullough Elementary School Celebrates Grand Opening of Newest Boundless™ Playground in Western Pennsylvania
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2007--Students cheered, parents clapped and teachers cried when a life-size Mr. Potato Head bounced through the auditorium doors more than six months ago at McCullough Elementary School in Claridge, Pa. to announce that, "McCullough's dream had come true." The school was chosen as the grand prize winner of the "PLAYSKOOL Win a Boundless Playground Essay Contest" to have a $300,000 Boundless playground built in their community. Today, all those involved came out in abundance to cut the ribbon on McCullough's Boundless Playground and give thanks to Boundless Playgrounds® (www.boundlessplaygrounds.org), Hasbro Inc.'s (NYSE:HAS) PLAYSKOOL brand (www.playskool.com), and GameTime, a PlayCore company (www.gametime.com), the playground equipment manufacturer that provided the equipment on the new playground.
The essay, submitted jointly by third-grade teacher Scott Mickey and parent Lisa Popovich, beat out almost 1,000 entries which were received from 44 states plus the District of Columbia during the summer and fall of 2006. The goal of the contest was to raise awareness that playgrounds should not exclude children with disabilities - instead, playgrounds can and should be places where children with and without disabilities can play side by side. During today's grand opening event, the community came together to give thanks for their new playground. McCullough's Boundless Playground is the 120th playground built in the organization's 10 year history.
"Since the founding of Boundless Playgrounds more than 10 years ago, we have had the pleasure of opening more than 100 Boundless playgrounds throughout the country," said Amy Jaffe Barzach, executive director/co-founder of Boundless Playgrounds. "We are proud to have been able to help provide the Penn-Trafford School District with a place where their children, with and without disabilities, can play and learn together."
Recognizing the importance of play for children of all abilities, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell issued a proclamation stating that Thursday, November 8, 2007 would be recognized as "Let's All Play Day." Allen Kukovich, Director of the Governor's Southwest Office, presented the proclamation to McCullough Elementary School.
"PLAYSKOOL is pleased to partner with Boundless Playgrounds to provide such a deserving community with a special place for all children to play," said Lorrie Copeland, general manager of PLAYSKOOL. "Every child has the right to play. It is essential for children of all abilities to have access to play spaces where they can play, learn and develop side by side with one another and build self-confidence."
McCullough's Boundless Playground is a wonderland of activities and measures approximately 27,000 square feet or 0.62 acres. The largest play area in the playground utilizes GameTime's exclusive Wide Ramps, the only playground ramp wide enough to allow children in mobility devices to pass each other so they never have to wait for the ramp to be clear to continue their play. Slides and climbers are placed at several different deck heights, allowing children the opportunity to develop skills, and then move up to the next level of challenge. The playground also features areas to promote imagination, sand and water play, social interaction, and strength and skill development. The entire space is covered with a mix of GT Impax surfacing, also by GameTime, including Poured in Place rubber, a single piece surface that is one of the best for mobility device access. It was built during the summer at a site previously designated as a practice field adjacent to the elementary school and centrally located for community use.
"GameTime is pleased to have been part of the opening celebration for McCullough's Boundless Playground," said Tom Norquist, senior vice president of GameTime. "It is a delight to see the children run out and start playing on this universally designed playground we have completed. This community truly inspired us and we are proud to have been part of bringing them a place where they can play, create and explore with one another for many years to come."
It was more than a decade ago that Amy Jaffe Barzach lost her nine-month-old son to spinal muscular atrophy and decided to build an inclusive playground in his memory. Amy and her family imagined that in Jonathan's dreams, playgrounds would be places where children of all abilities could celebrate life. The special playground built in Jonathan's memory became the inspiration that led to the establishment of Boundless Playgrounds. As a founding national sponsor, Hasbro Inc. has been the organization's most ardent supporter; the company has donated more than $1 million, helping to establish a national resource center, launch an educational campaign, develop Boundless playgrounds in 24 disadvantaged communities across the country and sponsor two signature playgrounds in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
BOUNDLESS PLAYGROUNDS - Boundless Playgrounds is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that provides leadership to help communities create extraordinary playgrounds where children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential life skills as they learn together through play. More than 100 Boundless playgrounds are now open in over 20 states, the District of Columbia and Canada and dozens more are currently in development. Boundless Playgrounds, based in Connecticut, was founded in 1997 by a passionate team of parents and professionals.
GAMETIME - Since 1929, GameTime has been committed to enriching childhood through play. GameTime produces the largest selection of creative and traditional play systems ever offered, and is the only manufacturer to take a research-based approach to play, by funding independent research studies to discover children's skill sets at target stages of development, then designing equipment to encourage those skills. Its equipment consistently exceeds minimum safety requirements and accommodates accessibility for physically challenged children.
HASBRO/PLAYSKOOL - Since 1928, PLAYSKOOL, the infant/preschool toy division of Hasbro, Inc. (NYE:HAS), has been a tireless advocate for children's healthy development, seeking out the maximum enjoyment in play and learning activities regardless of age and physical abilities. Hasbro is the first national founding sponsor of Boundless Playgrounds, providing financial gifts totaling more than $1 million to date. As a toy company, Hasbro believes in the importance of discovering and learning through play and is dedicated to helping Boundless Playgrounds bring this joy to every child. PLAYSKOOL allows parents, grandparents and other guiding forces in children's lives to engage in play and dialogue which provides an educational cornerstone for developing and maximizing the joy in the critical years up to age five. The PLAYSKOOL product line includes timeless classics such as MR. POTATO HEAD, SIT 'N SPIN, WEEBLES, GLOWORM, SIMON SAYS, RIDE 2 ROLL SCOOTER and COOL CREW. PLAYSKOOL and its parent company, Hasbro, are based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
CONTACT: For PLAYSKOOL®
Allison & Partners
Tara Chiarell, 646-428-0610
tara@allisonpr.com
or
Boundless Playgrounds®
Glandina Morris, 860-243-8315, ext. 108
Communications Manager
gmorris@boundlessplaygrounds.org
or
GameTime
Anne-Marie Spencer, 256-997-5430
Director of Marketing
aspencer@gametime.com
SOURCE: Hasbro, Inc.
