Community Members Join Area Dealers, Chrysler LLC and KaBOOM! to Build New Child-Designed Playground in One Day in Orlando, Fla.

       By: Chrysler LLC
Posted: 2008-10-19 06:11:50
Before the sun set today, the children who call Devereux Florida home got a new and safe place to play.

The new playground, which was fully assembled from scratch in less than eight hours, was built with the help of more than 250 volunteers from the Central Florida Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge dealers; Chrysler LLC; The Chrysler Foundation; Chrysler Financial; Devereux Florida representatives; organizers from KaBOOM!; and residents of the local community.

"The Central Florida Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers are very excited to have the opportunity to provide a playspace for these very special children," said Mike Smith, President, Orlando Dodge Chrysler Jeep and Director of the Dealer Advertising Association. "The Orlando community has been good to all of us for many years and it is great to be able to give back."

Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held in August. Local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Chrysler to design their "dream" playground. The children's drawings were used to create the final playground design.

"This playground will serve not only as a place for our children to have fun, but also as a way for them to escape their daily stresses and just be a kid again," said Steven Murphy, Devereux Florida Executive Director.

When one of the Devereux residents was asked what this new playground would mean to her and the other children, she said, "When we have visitors, like our little brothers and sisters, we will be able to go to the playground and share a great time together."

The project is the 15th of 25 playgrounds scheduled to be built across the country this year by KaBOOM!, The Chrysler Foundation, and Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers. The playground is also one of more than 225 builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country this year in an effort to provide an enjoyable place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

Devereux Florida

Established in 1987 in Viera, Devereux Florida is licensed by the Department of Children & Families and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Devereux Florida is the largest non-profit provider of mental health, developmental disabilities and child welfare services to children and families in Florida. Devereux Florida touches the lives of over 5,000 children on any given day and serves over 13,000 families on an annual basis. Headquartered in Orlando, Devereux Florida serves the entire state with locations in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, Duval, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Pinellas, Leon, Lee, Hillsborough, Broward and Dade Counties. Devereux Florida employs over 1,000 staff members, plus 100 contract professionals, to give specialized care and counseling to those it serves. Devereux Florida is part of the national Devereux Foundation, established in 1912, which is one of the largest non-profit providers of behavioral health care in the nation.

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 http://www.thechryslerfoundation.com .

Chrysler Financial

Chrysler Financial offers automotive financial products and services to both dealers and consumers of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. In addition to offering vehicle wholesale and retail financing to more than 3,500 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers, Chrysler Financial also provides fleet management and lines of credit to dealers. Currently, nearly three million drivers in the United States enjoy the benefits of leasing or financing with Chrysler Financial. Chrysler Financial has an employee base of 4,000 and supports a global portfolio of $70 billion. Visit corp.chryslerfinancial.com .

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 1,500 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 http://kaboom.org .
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