New Orleans Neighborhood to Get Brand New Playground, Five Years After Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The hundreds of children living near The Intercultural Charter School in New Orleans haven't had a safe place to play since the school opened in 2008.  The school was built in response to an overwhelming community need for a grade school after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

That void will be filled on Friday, November 26th, when volunteers from State Farm® join forces with the non-profit agency KaBOOM! and neighborhood residents to build a safe new playground at the school.  The one-day project, marking the 5th anniversary of Katrina and the 5th playground built by State Farm in New Orleans, is expected to draw about 200 volunteers in celebration of Thanksgiving weekend.

"This playground project exemplifies the State Farm commitment to being a good neighbor by being there for the communities in which we live and work," says Pam El, State Farm Vice President of Marketing.  "We consciously team up with organizations that share our vision and are similarly dedicated to building safer, stronger communities."

Over the past 5 years, State Farm and KaBOOM! have built playgrounds at Happy Kid's Day Care, Sylvanie Williams Elementary, Mary D. Coghill Elementary and Abramson Science and Technology Charter School.  "Not only does this playground provide a safe place for our children to play, but it symbolizes the strength of our community after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina," says Peta Le Blanc, Principal of the Intercultural Charter School.  Each project was undertaken in conjunction with State Farm's sponsorship of the Bayou Classic, the annual gridiron match-up between Grambling State University and Southern University.

To celebrate its 15th year as sponsor of the game, State Farm will host Kicking It!, a Facebook sweepstakes for an all-expense-paid trip for two to New Orleans for the 37th Annual Bayou Classic.  There, the winner not only will attend the gridiron match-up on Saturday November 27th, but also will have a chance to kick a field goal and win $15,000.  For details, visit the Facebook fan page at http://www.kickingit2010.com.

About State Farm®

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

About KaBOOM!

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Through community building, the organization is focused on giving every child in America a great place to play within walking distance. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,900 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

About The Intercultural Charter School

Located in the Eastern edge of New Orleans, The Intercultural Charter School was opened in 2008 to offer local New Orleans children a grade school education.  ICS's mission is to create a school of excellence and academic rigor, while nurturing pride in the community's diverse culture. The principal is Ms. Peta Le Blanc, who has more than 25 years' experience working with children and families in New Orleans as a public school educator.

SOURCE State Farm