Colts, National Starch Team Up to Build a Playground at IPS #46
INDIANAPOLIS – Several months ago, the Indianapolis Colts and National Starch had a dream – to build a safe and fun play space for Indianapolis youth in the heart of their community. On Tuesday, September 23, with the help of more than 300 volunteers and nine Colts players, that dream became a reality.
Through a partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and KABOOM!, a national non-profit organization that seeks to have a great play space within walking distance of every child in America, the Colts and National Starch selected IPS #46 (Daniel Webster Family Academy) as the build site for a custom-designed Colts playground.
The school, which is located in the heart of a neighborhood just south of downtown Indianapolis, was in dire need of a safe playground for their students. In previous years, a couple of students had lost their lives crossing a busy street to use the playground nearest to the school. As a result, the students were required to stop using that playground and had no other play area available nearby.
But on September 23, all that changed. Beginning at 7:00 a.m., volunteers from the Colts, National Starch, KIB and IPS #46 teamed up to install a one-of-a-kind playground in the school's backyard. By 2:30 p.m. that afternoon, the playground had been built and numerous beautification projects around the school had also been completed.
Throughout the build day, several Colts players also stopped by to help, including QB Josh Betts, WR Sam Giguere, DT Darrell Reid, LB Jordan Senn, TE Isaac Smolko, DB Jamie Silva, TE Jacob Tamme and LB Philip Wheeler.
The playground, which was based on drawings and ideas from students, is designed to be a play space that is open to the public and available to youth throughout the community. It features several custom Colts panels, a slide, climbing walls, swings and much more.
Special Thanks…
Several Colts sponsors also donated their time and resources to assist with the build. Breakfast for all of the volunteers was provided by Meijer, while McAlister's Deli supplied a buffet lunch. Republic Services was the official trash removal and recycling provider for the project and Coca-Cola provided beverages for the volunteers throughout the day. The Colts would like to thank each of their partners for helping make this project an overwhelming success!
Additional Notes…
This build project was also part of the NFL's Play 60 program and the Worldwide Day of Play.
Play 60 is a program started by the NFL and its 32 teams to encourage youth across the nation to be active at least 60 minutes each day. For more information on Play 60, visit www.nflrush.com/health.
The Worldwide Day of Play, which takes place this year on September 27, is designed to encourage youth to spend time in play. Communities across America will be hosting various events and activities for youth and families to play together. To learn more, visit www.worldwidedayofplay.com.
