FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fountain Valley community was revitalized today thanks to a new playground built at Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley - Kingston Branch. In less than eight hours, more than 200 volunteers from Foresters FinancialTM, Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley and non-profit KaBOOM! created the new playspace, 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 Fountain Valley 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.
"At the Boys & Girls Club, we're focused on helping kids reach their full potential. Play is a big part of that. It gets kids imaginations fired up. It tests their problem solving skills. It helps them make friends and develop good social skills. And, of course, it gets their bodies moving, keeping them healthy and active,” said Tanya Hoxsie, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley. “Most of the kids who come to the Club don't have an outdoor play space at home - many live in apartments or condos without a yard at all. So, their time at the Club is the main time outside of school recess that they get to play outside and get all those great benefits. We're so grateful to KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial for helping us build this new playground and give the gift of play to the kids at the Club."
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 Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley
Boys &
Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley is one of the leading Boys & Girls
Clubs both locally and nationally. With seven locations in Huntington
Beach and Fountain Valley, the organization makes a difference to 10,500
children and their families each year through a wide array of programs
for children ages 6 weeks old through high school. Major services
include: before and after school programs with bus transportation to and
from 40+ schools, licensed childcare for children 6 weeks to 5 years
old, sports leagues, performing arts programs, and family support
programs. Contributions from the local community help keep programs
affordable and enable the Club to offer a sliding scale as well as free
programs so that children in need have access to fantastic quality youth
programs. For more information about Club programs, visit the Club
online at bgchv.com,
facebook.com/bgchv
or twitter.com/bgchv.
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.
