200 Volunteers to Improve East Point Kids Lives & Futures with Play

***MEDIA ALERT***

200 Volunteers to Improve East Point Kids’ Lives & Futures with Play Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Let’s Play Initiative Hosts Playground Build to Improve East Point Kids’ Lives with Play

WHAT: More than 200 volunteers will join forces on Friday, September 9, to give local kids the childhood they deserve by building a new playground from the ground up at John D. Milner Athletic Complex.  The playground build is made possible by Let’s Play, an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) to provide kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority, and its nonprofit partner KaBOOM!  The build will culminate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the newly erected playground and making more play possible for local East Point kids.

WHY: Play is important to children’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development, but research shows kids are becoming more sedentary and not getting the activity they need.  According to research from the CDC, healthy lifestyle habits formed through play, including physical activity, can lower the risk of obesity and its associated health issues.  Through Let’s Play, DPS and its partners are committed to East Point and helping create safe and inspiring places for local kids to enjoy the active play they need for years to come.

WHO: Representatives available for interviews:  Kevin Martello, Vice President Convenience National Accounts, Dr Pepper Snapple Group  Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President, Strategic Industry Initiatives  Bryan McNamara, KaBOOM!  Councilmember Myron Cook, East Point Mayor Pro Temp  Jonathon Penn, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of East Point

WHEN: Friday, September 9 (Times approximate)  9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Kick-Off Ceremony  9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Playground Construction (best viewing between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.)  3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

WHERE: John D. Milner Athletic Complex 3009 Randall Street East Point, GA 30344

ABOUT LET’S PLAY: Let’s Play is an initiative launched in 2011 by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to provide the tools, places and inspiration to make play a daily priority. By 2017, DPS will provide nearly 10 million children across North America with new opportunities to play and be active through Let’s Play. In partnership with the nonprofit organizations KaBOOM! and Good Sports, Let’s Play is working to eliminate the ‘play deficit’ by building and improving play spaces and providing grants for athletic equipment and gear. For more information, please visit LetsPlay.com or Facebook.com/LetsPlay.

ABOUT NACS: Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.

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ABOUT CITY OF EAST POINT: The City of East Point is a vibrant city located inside the perimeter of metro Atlanta, and just 5 minutes from the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. With a population of around 35,000, the City of East Point offers residents a small town feel with access to multiple transportation options and close proximity to big city amenities. The city boasts a thriving shopping district at Camp Creek Marketplace and its very own MARTA Train Station, along with attractive neighborhoods and a bustling Downtown District. This urban community’s prime location, charming neighborhoods, numerous retail options and great restaurants make it an attractive place for a “live-work-play-shop” environment. For more information about the City of East Point visit http://www.eastpointcity.org/.

ABOUT KaBOOM!: KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,300 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 8.1 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters and why cities are embracing #playability: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.