PROVIDENCE – The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, today announced a donation of $53,000 in playground equipment from office products giant Staples Inc.
Funding from Staples will allow for the construction of a new playground in Merino Park in Providence, the groups said. An additional contribution to rebuild the park was given by Providence City Councilman John Igliozzi, on behalf of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council.
This rebuild is part of the Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project, an initiative to restore parks, and revitalize rivers and natural resources in some of the more disadvantaged areas of Providence.
“Merino Park’s existing playground equipment is extremely limited given the number of children in the area,” said Lisa Aurecchia, program director of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. “The support received from Staples will enable us to rebuild the park and provide more than 300 children in the community with a safer, more vibrant place to play every day.”
A ceremony to announce the reconstruction of the Merino Park playground is planned for today at 3 p.m. in Merino Park, at Heath Street and Hartford Avenue in Providence.
Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline will join Joe Doody, Staples’ president of North American delivery; Don Ralph, Staples’ senior vice president of logistics of North American delivery; Igliozzi, of the Providence City Council; Richard Rose, assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice; students from local preschools and middle schools; and more than 300 volunteers from Staples, the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, the Providence Parks Department and KaBOOM! in dedicating the playground.
“Staples recognizes the positive impact recreational activities can have on childhood development,” Doody said in a statement. “As a company headquartered in New England, we are committed to supporting communities in our own back yard and to ensuring that Providence children have a safe environment to play and grow.”
“Through Staples’ generous support, KaBOOM! is a step closer to achieving our goal of providing a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America,” Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder of KaBOOM!, added in a press release. “This playground will serve as yet another testament to what can be achieved when communities join together in the spirit of helping children.”
The park system in Providence consists of 1,200 acres and 112 park spaces: 97 neighborhood park spaces; 11 downtown parks; the North Burial Ground and Locust Grove cemeteries; and Roger Williams Park.
The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council is a nonprofit organization promoting the restoration and preservation of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed as an environmental, recreational, cultural and economic asset of the State of Rhode Island. For more information, go to www.woonasquatucket.org.
Staples Inc. – based in Framingham, Mass. – is the world’s largest office products company, with 2007 sales of $19.4 billion. It serves customers in 22 nations, in North and South America, Europe and Asia, through its more than 2,000 office superstores and its mail-order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses. For more information, go to www.staples.com.
KaBOOM! is a nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child. Since 1995, it has brought together business and community interests to construct more than 1,400 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. For more more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
