DTV DTE Energy Company

DIRECTV:

WHAT:

  More than 250 volunteers from DIRECTV and the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada (DSOSN), organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the Las Vegas community will join forces on Monday, April 22 to build a new playground at Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada. The new playground’s design is based on drawings created by children who participated in a Design Day event in February.  

WHY:

Today’s kids spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, socially and cognitively. Children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy, something KaBOOM! has been committed to since 1996.   The new playground will provide hundreds of children in the Las Vegas community with a safe place to play. The playground will be utilized by young children with Down syndrome as well as their siblings and other community members, and will allow them to play together in a safe, pleasant and attractive environment. This playground is a dream come true for DSOSN and will not only provide a great playful environment, but will also be instrumental in assisting with activities related to developmental and movement therapies for children.   The playground is the third built by KaBOOM! and DIRECTV and is one of more than 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2013 in an effort to fulfill its vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.  

WHEN:

Monday, April 22

10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Kick off ceremony and volunteer deployment

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Final construction phase and adjustments

2:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate new play area

(Note: all times approximate)

 

WHERE:

Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada 5300 Vegas Drive Las Vegas, NV 89108  

WHO:

Aga Pinkerton, Office of Sen. Harry Reid; Hundreds of volunteers from DIRECTV and the community  

VISUALS:

Before and after shots of the site Volunteers assembling brightly colored playground equipment Volunteers moving 34,020 square feet of safety surfacing by hand Ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the playground  

Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada

The Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada (DSOSN) was established in Las Vegas in 1987. Our mission is to be a source of support, information, advocacy and education for individuals and families affected by Down syndrome, and to enlighten the public by promoting a positive understanding of Down syndrome in our community. Our primary focus is to ensure that all individuals with Down syndrome are accepted in the community and respected for their individual abilities and contributions. DSOSN currently offers services and programs to more than 700 members in southern Nevada, including individuals with Down syndrome, their families and friends, plus health-care, education, and developmental professionals. We are the only organization in our region devoted exclusive to the needs of individuals with Down syndrome and their families. We are an independent, 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization and a proud affiliate of the National Down Syndrome Congress and The National Down Syndrome Society. For more information, visit www.dsosn.org.

DIRECTV

DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to more than 35 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its over 20 million customers access to more than 185 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 11 years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to more than 15 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 42 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com. For more information about Corporate Citizenship at DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com/CorporateCitizenship.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. Social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America because children need to play actively every day at home, in school and in their communities. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 90,000 places to play, built more than 2,200 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: A Movement to Save Play, now out in paperback. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has an office in San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.