Zeno Group Plays AND Gives Back!
posted by Jennifer LemmertWednesday, June 24th, 2009
What do Michelle Obama, Maria Shriver, mulch and Zeno Group have in common?
The First Ladies are just the latest supporters of Zeno Group’s pro bono client, KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that is bringing play back into the lives of children. In San Francisco this week, First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady of California Maria Shriver got down and dirty to build a local playground with KaBOOM!.
My fellow Zeno-ites and I recently had the opportunity to join a similar KaBOOM! playground build at a school in downtown Baltimore. We arrived early that morning to the inner city charter school, where so many volunteers gathered to create a safe place to play for the students and local children in the community. Fortified by caffeine and sporting old clothes, we were ready for an adventure in play. The next six hours were a blur of pitch forks, giant slides, sloppy mud and new friends. We were all energized by the task at hand: gaining a better insight into KaBOOM!’s mission and demonstrating Zeno Group’s dedication to improving the communities in which we live and serve.
Team Zeno helps out at the KaBOOM! playground build in Baltimore
KaBOOM!’s emphasis on community engagement and support is a welcome reminder that sometimes we need to step out of the office and onto the concrete for some much needed service in our communities. It’s amazing how much you learn about an organization’s dedication to service while shoveling mulch and laying bricks with community volunteers all day! I was proud to be a Zeno ambassador both on the playground that day and back at my desk, strategizing with our team to build buzz for KaBOOM!’s upcoming Play Days, September 19 – 27, 2009.
KaBOOM! Play Days are outdoor events that celebrate play and emphasize wellness with games and activities. KaBOOM! believes that unstructured play in particular helps make children happier, fitter, smarter, more socially adept and creative. Further, Play Days are an opportunity for communities to come together to improve their local parks and playspaces with clean-ups, simple enhancement and construction projects.
Having been atop the mulch pile, I can attest that being hands-on involved with KaBOOM! is a really rewarding experience. I encourage all of my colleagues to join in to plan a Play Day or spread the word to their friends and family. It’s easy to get started: just go to www.kaboom.org/playday to sign up!
Find out what Michelle, Maria and I have already discovered: playing with KaBOOM! is a great way to have fun AND give back to the local community!
