BUILDING A BETTER BOSTON - ONE PLAYGROUND AT A TIME!
Ben & Jerry’s¨ Teams with Emmanuel House to Make a Neighborhood’s Dream Come True

Burlington, VT - Wanna watch a dream take shape? Come catch the excitement as a new playground sprouts on an empty South End lot!

For children in Boston’s challenged Lower Roxbury/South End, the fun’s been a long time coming, notes Sister Esther of Emmanuel House, a service site of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston. “We have over 80 children in our kindergarten and after-school program, and until now they’ve had no suitable outdoor place to play. We’ve been hoping and praying for a new playground since I’ve been here - and I’ve been here 22 years,” she smiles.

Thanks to a helping scoop from the socially-conscious confectioners at Ben & Jerry’s and the assistance of a unique national nonprofit called KaBOOM!, Lower Roxbury will finally get its playground. Partnering with Emmanuel House, community volunteers and parents will come together to build a new safe play space for their children - in addition, at least three other communities across the country will soon be getting one, too!

"Play is the work of childhood - it not only gives kids healthy exercise but helps develop social and cognitive skills too,” emphasizes Darell Hammond, chief executive officer and co-founder of Washington, D.C.-based KaBOOM! “But too many neighborhoods like Boston’s Lower Roxbury are child-rich and playground-poor.” That’s where KaBOOM! comes in. With help from 50,000 enthusiastic volunteers, KaBOOM! has already helped to build 259 safe and accessible new playgrounds across the U.S., Canada, and Bermuda — and inspired thousands more.

This year, playful ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s came up with an innovative way to help fuel the fun. “We were so excited by the idea of encouraging playgrounds that we designed new KaBerry KaBOOM!ú ice cream, a flavor that’s all about fun,” says Jennifer Green, Special Events Specialist for Ben & Jerry’s. “This creative red-white-and-blue combination of strawberry and blueberry ice creams is loaded with white fudge-covered cracklin’ candy, then kissed with a blueberry swirl. And best of all, a portion of the proceeds from every pint of this exciting flavor will go to help fund at least three new playgrounds: one on the East coast, one on the West coast, and one in the Central U.S."

Right here in Boston, a special team of more than 50 Ben & Jerry’s employees will arrive next week to join volunteers from Emmanuel House and the community for the local playground build. Under the skillful direction of a KaBOOM! project leader, Lower Roxbury’s playground dream will finally become a reality -- all in one short day!

"It’s the power of people and it’s awesome!” smiles Green. “Like an old fashioned barn-raising, we’ll start out in the morning with stacks of supplies and a mountain of mulch. By late afternoon, all the piles will be gone - and we’ll have a brand new playground where kids will soon be able to play!” Ben & Jerry’s will also have a scoop truck on hand to give away free ice cream to celebrate the new playground’s completion.

"As employees, we’re excited to be coming to Boston because it’s an opportunity to be involved in a meaningful way - it’s different from just handing someone a check,” says Green. “The day itself will be a real community-builder. And the kids will finally have a safe, accessible play space when it’s done!"

For more information about Ben & Jerry’s legendary commitment to social mission or their exciting new KaBerry KaBOOM! flavor, click on www.benjerry.com. To learn more about KaBOOM! and its playground-build activities, visit www.kaboom.org and for more on Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston, Emmanuel House and the other important services they provide, check out www.ccab.org.

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