CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Gladiators are pleased to announce their role in having built a playground on Cleveland’s near west side on Friday, August 8, teaming with the partnership formed between the iconic soft drink KOOL-AID and KaBOOM!, a non-profit organization based out of Washington D.C.
KOOL-AID and KaBOOM! partnered on May 27, 2008 and will build 24 playgrounds in cities around the country, provide grants toward building 20 more, and work with local communities, parents and children to encourage healthier and more active lifestyles.
KOOL-AID has also created a partnership with hip-hop pioneer Joseph Simmons (a.k.a. Reverend Run), who will serve as the new brand ambassador for the KOOL-AID KaBOOM! initiative. He and his family will don hard hats and wield shovels as they join the brand on local community build sites. Additionally, KOOL-AID will include Reverend Run in POS displays and other promotions, and he will speak directly to consumers about healthy lifestyle choices and the benefits of play. To learn more about this intiative please go to http://www.kaboom.org/koolaid.
The Gladiators front office staff were joined by DE JOE MINUCCI, offensive coordinator BRIAN PARTLOW and the 2008 AFL Coach of the Year MIKE WILPOLT. The playground was built at Nueva Luz Church of the Nazarene, 2226 W. 89th Street, Cleveland, OH 44102. The build took place from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
ABOUT KRAFT FOODS
Kraft Foods(NYSE:KFT)is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2007 revenues of more than $37 billion. For more than 100 years, Kraft has offered consumers delicious and wholesome foods that fit the way they live. Kraft markets a broad portfolio of iconic brands in more than 150 countries, including nine brands with revenues exceeding $1 billion: Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; Oscar Mayer meats; Philadelphia cream cheese; Maxwell House coffee; Nabisco cookies and crackers and its Oreo brand; Jacobs coffees; Milka chocolates; and LU biscuits. Kraft is listed in the Standard & Poor's 100 and 500 indexes. The company is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Ethibel Sustainability Index. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.kraft.com/
ABOUT KaBOOM!
Celebrating 12 years of success in 2008, KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. KaBOOM! was founded in 1996 by Darell Hammond and Dawn Hutchison in Washington, D.C. KaBOOM! has used our innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct over 1,400 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including this website and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo.
