Foresters Financial, KaBOOM! and Volunteers Create More Ways for Kids to Play at Gresham Park

For more than ten years, families come together with Foresters Financial to focus on giving kids the play they need

ATLANTA, Georgia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Atlanta-DeKalb community was revitalized today thanks to a new playground built at Gresham Park. In less than eight hours, more than 200 volunteers from Foresters Financial^TM, Gresham Park Youth Sports Association, DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs and non-profit KaBOOM! created the new play space, which will serve more than 1,000 children and their families in the local community for years to come.

“We believe in enriching lives and building strong communities – that’s our purpose,” said Tony Garcia, President and CEO, Foresters Financial. “Playgrounds are important because they provide a public space where children can play safely, families can spend quality time and the community can come together. An investment in a playground is an investment in community, and we are happy to provide the Atlanta community with a place that families can enjoy for years to come.”

The design for the new playground is based on drawings created by neighborhood children at a special Design Day event held in January when community members met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial to design their dream playground. The drawings inspired the final playground design.

Foresters Financial, an international financial services provider, helps families reach their financial goals, protect themselves and make a lasting difference in their communities. Since 2006, Foresters has invested more than $13 million with KaBOOM! to build more than 140 playgrounds across the US and Canada by the end of 2017. Over their 15-year lifespan, these playgrounds will help to strengthen the community and provide more than 5 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together.

“We appreciate Foresters Financial and KaBOOM! for giving us this opportunity to create a new playground in this community,” said Marvin Billups, Jr., Interim Director, DeKalb Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs. “This helps us continue our commitment to create a healthier DeKalb County by providing new playtime opportunities for the whole family.”

Green spaces and safe play structures where children and families can enjoy and spend time together are sparse in many high density communities. Playing outdoors is an important part of every child’s healthy development and the creation of this new playground will allow thousands of children to play safely and be active in their community.

Foresters Financial is a KaBOOM! Founding Partner and National Partner. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to ensuring that all kids get the balance and active play they need to thrive.

About Gresham Park Youth Sports Association
Since 1975 Gresham Park Youth Sports Association continues to be an outstanding educational and athletic organization that provides a high quality experience to all youth through football, cheerleading and flag football.

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs
DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs manages approximately 6,770 acres of parkland and open space. The department works to create signature parks and recreational facilities that will enhance the image of DeKalb County and its park system and increase its desirability as a place to live, work and play. Learn about other news and activities at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/parks or follow us at twitter.com/dekalbrpca or facebook.com/dekalbrpca or send us an email to [e-mail].

About Foresters Financial
Foresters Financial™ is an international financial services provider with more than three million clients and members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and total funds under management of $34 billion.¹ With a history of more than 140 years, we provide life insurance, savings, retirement and investment solutions that help families achieve their financial goals, protect their families and improve their communities. For more information, visit foresters.com.

Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries.

Products offered vary by country. Not all products are available for distribution in all jurisdictions. In the United States, products are offered by The Independent Order of Foresters and its subsidiaries, including Foresters Financial Services, Inc. a registered broker-dealer. Securities, life insurance and annuity products are offered through Foresters Financial Services, Inc. or independent producers. Insurance products are issued by Foresters Life Insurance and Annuity Company, New York, or The Independent Order of Foresters. Investment advisory products and services are offered through Foresters Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

¹ in Canadian dollars as of December 31, 2015

KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,700 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 8.5 million children. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy lives and communities. To learn why #playmatters: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.