J.J Barea helps dedicate newly refurbished playground

On Thursday, September 24, 2009, personnel from the Dallas Mavericks, Child's Play, Inc. and ChildCareGroup met at Anderson Child Care Center to dedicate the newly refurbished playground.

In attendance was Dallas Mavericks Point Guard J.J. Barea, who spoke to a group of about 20 preschool aged kids about his own playground experiences. He encouraged the children to "have fun and enjoy [the playground]. "A whistle-blowing ceremony followed; after a count of three, representatives of all three groups blew whistles, signaling the OK for the kids to run out onto the playground. J.J. even joined the kids as they went down their new slides and played on the swing set.

After the recess, J.J. visited five classrooms at the Anderson Center. All of the children were very excited about their new playground equipment and even more thrilled to meet a Mavericks player.

"ChildCareGroup is grateful for the generosity of the Dallas Mavericks Foundation and Child's Play, Inc. to provide our preschoolers with this much needed, beautifully refurbished and safe playground," said Betsy Edmondson, Interim CEO of ChildCareGroup. This wonderful gift enables our children to reach their full potential both physically and developmentally."

This is the sixth playground the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Mavericks Foundation have refurbished since 1999. The new playground equipment, worth an estimated $40,000, will provide the Center's 120 preschoolers with a safe place to play. Children are on-site for 8-10 hours a day, so outdoor play and exercise are essential components of the Anderson Center's family-focused child care.

Work completed by Child's Play, Inc. of Dallas includes the installation of a 2,600 square foot playground system featuring a new BCI Burke play structure and swing set, new playground borders and wood fiber surfacing. The playground equipment integrates the Mavericks team colors of blue, silver and black. The cost of the project and incidentals were taken care of by Child's Play, Inc. and the Dallas Mavericks Foundation.

About the Dallas Mavericks Foundation:
The mission of the Dallas Mavericks Foundation is to assist young people through programs stressing education, good health and skills necessary for their future success. Established in October of 1996, the Mavs Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and motivating youth to take their education seriously, strive for healthy bodies and minds, become involved in community service activities, set personal goals, visualize their dreams and take responsibility for their own lives and neighborhoods. The Mavs Foundation supports programs and organizations that address the community's most pressing problems involving youth, specifically education, good health and community service activity. Visit www.mavsfoundation.com for a complete listing of previous award recipients and programs.

About Child's Play, Inc.:
Child's Play, Inc. has been serving the North Texas and Oklahoma community for the past 11 years. During that time period, we have offered what we consider to be the highest standard of quality in playground equipment and services provided. Paired with Burke Premier Play Environments, our product lines have evolved from just an outdoor playground company to offering a complete recreational package, including shade structures, tables and benches and a variety of safety surfacing products. As an outdoor recreational specialist, we offer a free site evaluation, budgetary pricing and design assistance. Whatever your playground/park needs might be, your first step is to get your Child's Play, Inc. recreational specialist involved. No matter how large or small the project, let our experts assist you in answering all of your questions from site preparation to playground supervision and safety. For more information, please visit www.childsplayinc.net.

About ChildCareGroup:
ChildCareGroup, a United Way agency founded in 1901, is dedicated to promoting, delivering and expanding the best child care services available outside the home. The families served by ChildCareGroup are primarily the working poor, most earning incomes below the poverty level. ChildCareGroup operates 6 Head Start/Early Head Start centers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, providing daily care for approximately 600 children.