Rebuilding Together Indianapolis partners with Indianapolis Colts for 12th Annual Playground Build
Each year for the past 12 years, the Indianapolis Colts have built playgrounds in underserved areas of Indianapolis. In 2011, the Colts added Rebuilding Together Indianapolis as a partner to increase the impact of their projects.
This year, on Sept. 16, the Colts revitalized Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56 on the near north side. The project included the complete construction of a new playground, a new nature area, and overall beautification of the school grounds.
While this is the 12th annual playground build for the Indianapolis Colts, this year’s project was scaled up to celebrate the NFL’s 100th season and its associated community involvement initiative, the Huddle for 100.
“Every day, the Colts strive to entertain, inspire and unite our fans, and projects like this playground build at Francis W. Parker Montessori School help us fulfill that mission,” said Kalen Jackson, Colts vice-chair and owner. “We engage in community efforts like this to help brighten the lives of students and help them be healthy and active. But our players, coaches and staff get just as much out of the experience, and they all carry these warm and positive feelings with them long after projects are completed.”
Rebuilding Together Indianapolis' role for the past nine years has been to add construction expertise and project management for large groups of volunteers to complete the work in a timely and organized fashion. Additionally, our focus is to add value by refreshing and rebuilding existing outdoor features and enhancing the overall school grounds. Rebuilding Together Indianapolis also provided a box truck full of hand tools, such as wheelbarrows, shovels and hammers, to support the team effort.
"The Indianapolis Colts are leaders in our community and the beautiful transformation of Francis W. Parker Montessori School is just one example of that. The lasting impact by the Colts efforts to rebuild this school, and many others throughout the years, will have a direct impact on student development for many years to come." said Jayson Watt, Board President, Rebuilding Together Indianapolis. “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to support the Colts in these endeavors to rebuild Indianapolis Public Schools together.”
For more information on this project, check out the Colts’ video and recap with great photos from the event.
