PHOENIX, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An inspiration to
her community, Christina-Taylor
Green received a fitting tribute today as The Allstate
Foundation announces plans to replace the 35-year-old play
equipment at Christina's school, Mesa Verde Elementary, in
Tucson, Arizona.
Green's teachers and community will come together to build the
new Christina-Taylor Green Little Hands Playground on September 17; the playground will be dedicated a
week later, in a ceremony on September
24.
"Christina always looked after her classmates and the people she
loved," said Roxanna Green,
Christina's mother. "The playground will provide a fun and safe
place for Mesa Verde students and residents to play for years to
come – something Christina would have loved for our community."
The Christina-Taylor Green Little Hands Playground is the result
of a $140,000 donation from The
Allstate Foundation to The Injury Free Coalition for Kids at
Columbia University's Mailman School of
Public Health. The Allstate Foundation has built more than 40
playgrounds nationwide with Injury Free; this will be the first in
Arizona.
"Allstate wanted to honor Christina's memory and to help the
Tucson community renew in the wake
of the sad event that took Christina's life," said Denis Bailey, field senior vice president for
Allstate Insurance Company in Arizona. "This will be a safe, happy place in
a city where our customers, employees and friends live, work and
play, so this project means a great deal to all of us."
Mesa Verde Principal Foster
Hepler said the school prides itself on the health and
wellness of its students and a new playground was the school's
long-time wish. "It's an opportunity for our school to honor the
memory of our dear friend, Christina, while providing an outlet for
our students to become physically and mentally fit," he said.
In addition to The Allstate Foundation, a number of community
and corporate organizations contributed to the project. This
includes an in-kind donation of concrete construction and labor
valued at $13,000 by the Sundt
Foundation. Also, Mesa Verde Student Council utilized donations by
neighboring schools, organizations and individuals in the memory of
Christina-Taylor Green to aid in the
project. Other funds were provided by The John Jay and Rich Care for Kids Foundation and Little Tikes
Corporation.
In May, dozens of Christina-Taylor
Green's classmates gathered with their physical education
teacher, Ann Wheaton, around
renderings of slides, monkey bars, climbing walls and ladders as
they chose their favorite ways to play. The Allstate Foundation,
Injury Free Coalition and Little Tikes representatives listened as
the children shared their thoughts on artwork and equipment to
replace the current play area, consisting of original metal
structures dating back to 1978 -- the year the school was built.
The playground colors were chosen by Christina's classmates to
reflect the school colors – red, blue and white. They also chose a
butterfly image as the playground focal point, since Christina
loved butterflies and frequently drew them in her artwork.
Injury Free and Little Tikes then rendered thoughts from that
session into a design that features accessible, safe equipment,
spans nearly 2,000-square-feet, and features a transfer station
with safety rails for wheelchair accessibility; a rock challenge
wall; three slides; five climbing areas; several spinning
functions; and a soft-landing safety surface.
"When I started The Injury Free Coalition, I realized too many
children were injured because they did not have a safe place to
play," said Dr. Barbara Barlow, MD,
Executive Director of The Injury Free Coalition for Kids at the
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia
University. "For the past 23 years, we have successfully
reduced injury through education, construction of safe play areas
and the development and support of safe supervised activities."
Since 2001, The Injury Free Coalition and The Allstate
Foundation have a history of promoting safe and vital communities
that emphasize tolerance, inclusion, diversity and economic
empowerment through the Little Hands Playground projects. The
Coalition is helping to reduce injuries, the number one cause of
death and hospitalization for young people. In addition to
preventing unintentional injuries to children, community
interventions involving the creation of "Safe Play Spaces" such as
the Little Hands Playground projects revitalize distressed
neighborhoods and reestablishes community spirit and pride by
empowering a broad based coalition of residents with the skills and
relationships necessary to improve the quality of their lives.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent,
charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The
Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with
nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation
brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to
support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people's
well-being and prosperity. With a focus on teen safe driving and
building financial independence for domestic violence survivors,
The Allstate Foundation also promotes safe and vital communities;
tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment. For
more information, visit www.allstatefoundation.org.
SOURCE The Allstate Foundation