Even in an environment of budget challenges, there are corporations dedicated to doings something special for local communities. Shire Pharmaceutical is one such company.
The Feltonville Recreation Center located in Philadelphia, PA is a haven for local kids. In an often over-looked neighborhood, the Center provides a wide range of programs to nearly 500 children each week. The Center offers dance, art and computer classes, swimming, basketball, and baseball, among other varied activities. It is a diverse neighborhood with a broad scope of ethnicities and an estimated 27 different languages spoken. It is a neighborhood that has seen its share of crime and poverty. The Center was home to an often vandalized playground, a rusty fence and a declining basketball court. Fighting against a deficient in the budget, the mayor pleaded to businesses for help in maintaining the community. That was when Shire Pharmaceuticals stepped up.
Shire Pharmaceuticals is a global specialty biopharmaceuticals company with major operations in Chester County. "Helping people is what we do at Shire, and this initiative is a tangible way to illustrate how much our Philadelphia area employees care about communities across the Philadelphia region," said Mike Yasick, senior vice president at Shire. Shire donated $165,000 to update the park, including adding a new playground, new basketball court and handball wall, complete with updated landscaping and new sidewalks. They have also pledged to give $100,000 over three years to the Department of Parks & Recreation to help maintain the park.
The new playground at Feltonville is getting a lot of use. And it has given the community a new and brighter outlook. Residents are taking ownership of their beautiful new park, looking out for the playground to ensure it is safe and maintained and to make sure vandals stay far away. Adults are bringing their children to play, and as the children bond through play, the adults are bonding through conversation, fostering a greater sense of community.
"This playground was made possible by Councilwoman (Maria D. Quinones) Sanchez who was instrumental in working with Shire to get the necessary funds to have the playground renovated," says Russ Horrocks of Marturano Recreation Products, who did the design work for the playground and the poured rubber surface. After meeting with committee members representing Feltonville Recreation Center to get their direction on equipment and color selections, Horrocks laid out the design to meet the space constraints and budget. The GameTime Powerscape Plus play system was installed by Park Corporation out of Limerick, PA, and included stainless steel slides and Xscape swings for both 2-5 and 5-12 age groups.
Shire is hoping others will follow their lead and indeed, they already have. Sherwin-Williams donated paint to the Feltonville Project to refinish the iron fence surrounding the play area and to add a mural to the handball wall. At the grand opening of the new Feltonville playground, many excited children were on hand with parents and city officials to try out the bright equipment. If the squeals of excitement were any indication, the new playground is a big success.