KaBOOM!, Keurig Dr Pepper and Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Winners of Let's Play Everywhere Challenge to Create More Play Opportunities for Kids
$200,000 awarded to organizations across Allegheny County for creative ideas that incorporate play into everyday life
WASHINGTON and BURLINGTON, Mass. and PLANO, Texas, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, KaBOOM!, the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids the childhood they deserve through great, safe places to play, Keurig Dr Pepper (NYSE: KDP), a leading coffee and beverage company in North America, and the Pittsburgh Penguins announced winners of the Let's Play Everywhere Challenge in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Challenge, funded by the Keurig Dr Pepper Let's Play initiative, awarded $200,000 across ten organizations in the county to create lasting, scalable design installations that will provide more opportunities to play for kids who need it most.
The Let's Play Everywhere Challenge is a call for innovative ideas that make it easier for families to incorporate play into their everyday routines. The projects implemented through the Challenge will help families make play the easy choice and support kids in getting the physical activity they need to thrive. Through the Let's Play Everywhere Challenge, ten new playspaces will be created that will reach thousands of kids in Allegheny County by October 2019.
"We can all agree that play is an essential part of childhood, and all kids should have opportunities to play regardless of where they live or their family's income," said James Siegal, CEO of KaBOOM!. "The more kids play, the more likely they are able to grow up happy, healthy and resilient. We are grateful to Keurig Dr Pepper for bringing people together from all walks of life to make a difference in the lives of kids in Allegheny County."
Winning entries include plans from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to bring "Ping Pong in the Plaza" to Schenley Plaza, one of the busiest greenspaces in Pittsburgh, and another from non-profit Community Forge, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Learning Commons, which will create a math-themed rock climbing wall and accessible walkway in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.
"The Keurig Dr Pepper Let's Play initiative provides funding, equipment and playspaces to help kids and families make active play a daily priority," said Vicki Draughn, vice president, corporate communications and philanthropy. "By investing in new, unexpected opportunities for play, especially for underserved children and their families, we're supporting innovative ideas that can help kids build active, healthy habits for life."
To learn more about the Let's Play Everywhere Challenge and view a gallery of winners from across Allegheny County, please visit kaboom.org/letsplay.
About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – especially those living in poverty – the childhood they deserve through great, safe places to play. KaBOOM! inspires communities to make play the easy choice and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of PLAYces. KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build or restore more than 17,000 playspaces, engaged more than 1.5 million volunteers and served over 9 million kids. To learn why play matters for all kids, visit kaboom.org and join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom, facebook.com/kaboom and Instagram/kaboom. #playmatters #PLAYceforKids
About Let's Play
Let's Play is an initiative by Keurig Dr Pepper to provide the funding, equipment and play spaces to help kids and families make active play a daily priority. Through Let's Play, Keurig Dr Pepper partners with two non-profit organizations, KaBOOM! and Good Sports, to build and improve playgrounds in underserved communities and provide grants for sports equipment. In this way, Keurig Dr Pepper is doing our part to help eliminate the play deficit by making active play possible for more kids. Since its launch in 2011, Let's Play has provided more than 12 million children with more opportunities to play via safe, accessible playgrounds and sports equipment. For more information, please visit LetsPlay.com or Facebook.com/LetsPlay.
About Keurig Dr Pepper
Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is a leading coffee and beverage company in North America, with annual revenue in excess of $11 billion. KDP holds leadership positions in soft drinks, specialty coffee and tea, water, juice and juice drinks and mixers, and markets the #1 single serve coffee brewing system in the U.S. The Company maintains an unrivaled distribution system that enables its portfolio of more than 125 owned, licensed and partner brands to be available nearly everywhere people shop and consume beverages. With a wide range of hot and cold beverages that meet virtually any consumer need, KDP key brands include Keurig, Dr Pepper, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Canada Dry, Snapple, Bai, Mott's and The Original Donut Shop. The Company employs more than 25,000 employees and operates more than 120 offices, manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centers across North America.
SOURCE KaBOOM!
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