WHEN:
September 15, 2022
- 9:30AM-4:00PM – Volunteers construct playground
- 4:00PM – Ribbon cutting ceremony
WHERE:
Hopkins House – James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy
8543 Forest Place
Alexandria, VA 22309
WHAT:
Volunteers from Hopkins House and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation are constructing a kid-designed playground to ensure kids have a safe, inclusive place to play. This is part of a nationwide effort by KABOOM! to end playspace inequity – the reality that places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. This project will provide a state-of-the-art playground to more than 140 children each year.
At the playground ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees will hear from representatives from Hopkins House, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, and KABOOM! on the creation of the community-designed playground at Hopkins House – James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy and the impact this community investment has on the sports teams who are funding it and the neighbors who will benefit from it.
Media are welcome to capture photos, B-roll footage and interviews
WHO:
- Lysa Ratliff, CEO, KABOOM!
- Glenn Hopkins, Hopkins House President
- Deborah Boateng-Beckson, Preschool Academy Principal
- Ted Leonsis, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder & CEO
- Additional members of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, ownership group of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics
BACKGROUND:
Community members led the creation of the playground, from design to installation. In June, kids from Hopkins House – James L. & Juliette McNeil Preschool Academy shared drawings of their dream playspaces with Washington Capitals right wing Garnet Hathaway, Washington Wizards guard Jordan Schakel, Washington Mystics mascot Pax, and project organizers during Design Day. These ideas were integrated into the new playground design. The families of Academy students and community members are very excited for this new partnership and opportunity for their kids and community, providing another feature to the many programs and services offered by Hopkins House.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, the charitable arm of the Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics and Washington Wizards, is funding this new playground that will be built in Northern Virginia. This will be the eighth KABOOM! playground in the D.C. metropolitan area funded by MSE Foundation and built with involvement by its teams.
CONTACT:
Jennifer Sparrow, 410-370-9905, [email protected]
###
About Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation
MSE Foundation is committed to making the region a better place for all by supporting game-changing solutions for our community. We fundraise, provide grants to nonprofits and rally Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s teams and fans to support and amplify the impact of community change agents. Together, we’re raising the game in the DMV. Learn more at MonumentalFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
About Hopkins House
Founded in 1939, Hopkins House is a nonprofit, high-impact, community-based learning center for children, youth, and their families, operating education enriched preschool academies for infants and children, summer discovery camps for adolescents, and a college and career development institute for teens and adults that help build the foundation for 21st century achievement and success in the new global economy. Learn more at HopkinsHouse.org.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to build or improve 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the crucial benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, the $250 million plan to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
