Keeping Plantation, Fla. One of the Nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People; Local Dealership and Chrysler...- Massey-Yardley Chrysler Jeep(R) dealership employees spearhead effort to provide a safe place for neighborhood...- Original playground equipment destroyed due to damage sustained by Hurricane Wilma (2005)- Plantation had been named "One of the Nation's 100 Best Communities for Young People" by America's Promise...
PLANTATION, Fla., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite downpours of rain and intermittent lightning, more than 200 volunteers from Massey-Yardley Chrysler Jeep(R), The Chrysler Foundation, the city of Plantation, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the community joined forces today to build a new and secure playground at Fig Tree Park in Plantation, Fla. Herb Yardley, Dealer Principal - Massey-Yardley Chrysler Jeep, led the volunteers in building a state-of-the-art playground to serve the needs of the community. The new playground will provide more than 15,000 children in the community with a safe and enjoyable place to play. "Every child should have access to a play area that is safe and encourages physical activity," Yardley said. "This new playground, designed by local children and built by volunteers, is a small part of our long-term commitment to the Plantation community." Massey-Yardley Chrysler Jeep became involved in this project because it is committed to the belief that strong communities start with safe and happy neighborhoods where children and families can live, play and grow together. Planning for the playground began at a Design Day held in May. Local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Chrysler to develop their "dream" playground. The children's drawings were used to create the final playground design. "We are proud to have been chosen by KaBOOM! to receive this honor," said Rae Carole Armstrong, Mayor - Plantation. "Thanks to the vision, planning and hard work of our elected officials and city staff, our crowning achievement has historically been our parks and recreation facilities. The legacy that Massey Yardley and Chrysler, will leave at Fig Tree Park is a wonderful addition to our parks system, and will provide a place for children to play, and for families to connect, long into the future." The project is the fourth of 25 playgrounds scheduled to be built across the country by KaBOOM!, The Chrysler Foundation, Chrysler Financial and Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge dealerships and is expected to provide more than 30,000 children with a great place to play each year. The playground is also one of more than 225 builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2008, in an effort to provide an enjoyable place to play within walking distance of every child in America. "KaBOOM! is committed to bringing play back to the neighborhood one playground at a time," said Darell Hammond, CEO and Co-founder - KaBOOM!. "Every child deserves a place to run, jump, have fun and just be a kid. We are proud to work with Chrysler to give the children in Fig Tree Park a great place to play." America's Promise Alliance, the nation's largest alliance dedicated to children and youth, in partnership with Capital One, had announced Plantation, Fla. as one of its 2008 100 Best Communities for Young People (100 Best) competition. The 100 Best competition recognizes the 100 outstanding communities across America -- large and small, rural and urban -- that are the best places for young people to live and grow up. More than 300 communities in all 50 states applied for the honor this year. The 100 winning communities span 37 states. Massey Yardley Chrysler Jeep Massey Yardley is one of Florida's leading family-owned and operated automotive dealerships and has been serving Broward County for 41 years. The company was founded in 1967 by Herb Yardley who along with sons Warren and John, have Chrysler dealerships in Plantation and Hobe Sound, Fla. The Chrysler Foundation The Chrysler Foundation is the primary source of charitable grants made by Chrysler LLC. The Foundation annually supports hundreds of charitable organizations with an emphasis on community growth and enrichment, arts and culture, education and youth development programs throughout the United States and, increasingly, the world. The Foundation's Good Neighbor, Good Citizen(R) programs make a positive, lasting investment in local communities where our employees, customers and neighbors live. Visit www.thechryslerfoundation.com. About the City of Plantation The City of Plantation was incorporated in April of 1953. During the past 55 years, the city has expanded into a growing, vibrant urban municipality, 22 square miles in size, with a residential population exceeding 85,000. For more information on the city of Plantation, please visit its website, www.Plantation.org. Plantation's natural environment is unsurpassed by other South Florida cities. It has been recognized for the past 27 consecutive years, as "Tree City USA" and is one of only a handful of cities in the nation to be designated a "Sterling Tree City USA." Situated among thousands of trees are world-class recreation facilities, a stable business community supported by three distinct business districts, and safe, friendly neighborhoods. KaBOOM! KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,400 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, regional and national trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and the Playmaker Network - a national network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
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