- Dodge donates playspace in honor of Los Angeles County Firefighter Robert Nowaczyk, winner of the Ram Challenge
- Nowaczyk joins more than 200 volunteers from The Chrysler Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, Fireman's Brew, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community to assemble a new playground at the Club in less than eight hours on build day
- Volunteers haul more than 61,560 square feet of mulch and mix more than 14,880 pounds of concrete by hand
- Playground is the 24th to be built nationwide by Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge dealers, Chrysler, KaBOOM! and community partners
PACOIMA, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Before the sun set today, the more than 1,100 children who attend the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley got a great new place to play thanks to the efforts of Robert Nowaczyk, a Los Angeles County firefighter and winner of the Dodge Ram Challenge.
Dodge donated the new playspace in honor of Nowaczyk who won the Ram Challenge, a real-life, high-energy product attribute demonstration pitting American icons against one another on an obstacle course built in the rough California terrain. Teams of firemen, cowboys, military personnel and contractors were each given a stock 2009 Dodge Ram Crew 1500 to compete against one another in four races and elimination rounds to determine which team could out tough and outsmart the competition. As the ultimate winner, Nowaczyk won a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 truck in addition to the playground. Nowaczyk selected the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley as the recipient of the community-built playground because the club did not have outdoor playground equipment for the hundreds of children it annually serves.
Nowaczyk, with support from Fireman's Brew, an organization he founded whose products help raise money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, joined more than 200 representatives from The Chrysler Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community to assemble a new playground at the Club in less than eight hours on build day.
Throughout the day, volunteers hauled more than 61,560 square feet of mulch -- enough to cover 12 regulation-sized basketball courts -- by hand in tarps; mixed approximately 14,880 pounds of concrete -- equal to the weight of nearly four Dodge Challengers -- by hand in wheelbarrows; and assembled brightly colored playground equipment to bring the new play area to life.
"I'm honored and thrilled to have a park dedicated in my name for the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley. The Club and Park are right around the corner from where I grew up, so it's an awesome feeling to be connected with a local project. I want to thank Dodge for donating this park in my name," said Nowaczyk. "The Boys & Girls Club is already a great facility and now with a park and playground going up right next door, it's going to really make it a fun and safe place for kids in the area. It was a pleasure working with all of the volunteers, firefighters and my team from Fireman's Brew to build the park -- in one day."
Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held in January. 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.
"Our goal at the Club is to enhance the quality of life for young people. We are committed to providing programs and services that assist youth in attaining their highest potential in character, health, leadership, social, educational and vocational development," said LeRoy Chase, CEO/President of the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley. "We are excited about the new playground. Children need the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in a safe and supportive environment. It also creates an opportunity for children to continue to build their social skills while engaging in fun and imaginative activities. We thank the Chrysler Foundation, Robert Nowaczyk and KaBOOM! for this great gift to the Club, youth and the community. Organizations like Chrysler and individuals like Robert inspire the Boys & Girls Club of the San Fernando Valley to continue on the mission of providing a positive place for kids."
The project is the 24th playground to be built across the country by KaBOOM!, The Chrysler Foundation, and Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge dealers. The playground is also one of more than 200 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.
The Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley
The Mission of the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley (BGCSFV) is to enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Club is dedicated to promoting leadership, character, health and career development, while emphasizing social, cultural, emotional and educational growth among youth ages 7-18. The Club serves families in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, encompassing the communities of Pacoima, Arleta, Sun Valley, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Sylmar and surrounding communities. Five key characteristics define the essence of the BGCSFV: a dedicated youth facility; youth programs -- health, physical education, personal and educational programs, and social recreation activities; a safe haven that is open daily (five days a week); available/affordable memberships to all youth and their families; and professional staffing. Established in 1966, the BGCSFV has served the community for over 40 years under the leadership of CEO/President LeRoy Chase.
Fireman's Brew
Founded by Nowaczyk, Fireman's Brew is a Los Angeles-based microbrewery that produces handcrafted microbrewed beer, coffee and root beer sold throughout the greater Los Angeles area at grocery chains and restaurants. Conceived while battling a brushfire, Fireman's Brew grew out of Nowaczyk's vision of creating a line of premium drinks that would quench firefighters' thirst after an exhausting day on the firelines. In addition, Fireman's Brew is committed to giving back to the heroic cause upon which it's founded. To that end, Fireman's Brew participates in local community events and donates a portion of the proceeds from each product sold to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. For more information visit: www.firemansbrew.com.
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.
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 www.kaboom.org.
