The Quidnessett Elementary School PTO, in collaboration with the Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School, would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of the donors and volunteers who made it possible for us to successfully host a Community Build Day to construct a new playground at the kindergarten through grade five school. 

There was a tremendous sense of community spirit on July 21, 2012 as 85 volunteers came together for a mutual goal, to give the students and the residents of North Kingstown a safe, accessible playground to enjoy in the north end of North Kingstown.  Volunteers included parents, grandparents, faculty and staff, neighbors, members of a local church, and employees of Kohl’s, Walmart, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods.  Guiding and supervising the work was Meghan O’Brien Taylor, President of M.E. O’Brien and Sons, who managed the volunteers so efficiently that we finished the work exactly as scheduled. 

Individuals and businesses that made a donation or donated their services include:

We would also like to recognize the effort of the 85 volunteers who gave their time on July 21, 2012:

• Laurie Croteau                                    
• Christopher Ouellette                                    
• Sharon Gomersall
• Kelly Cedor                                    
• Colin Sullivan                                                
• Bevin Winner
• Matthew Eriksen                        
• Sharon Matson                                                
• Jared Vance
• Melissa Simpkins                       
• Matt Bellisle                                               
• Lindsay Securo
• Maureen Joubert                        
• Lindsay Cashman                                    
• Louise Denette
• Cynthia Turillo                                   
• Lynn Downey                                               
• Anthony Gale
• Paula Fernandes                       
• Jessica Pattie                                                
• Chelsea Sivo
• Candace Andrade                        
• Mario Andrade                                               
•  David Bigelli
• Kerry Wicker                                    
• Denise Dunlaevy                                    
• Deb Caramante
• Marilyn Minter                                    
• Missy McGann                                                
• Donna Paulin
• Willard Pierce III                      
• Rickey Thompson                                   
• Kevin Maloney
• Tamra Glod                                    
• Jeff Glod                                                
• Stephanie Griffin
• Wilfredo Coriano                        
• Wilfredo Coriano, Jr.                                    
• Bronagh Laliberte
• Allan McNay                                    
• Robert Degnan                                                
• Jillian Yadav
• Stephanie McKiernan                        
• Robin Shortsleeves                                    
• Janice Croasdale
• Steve Potter                                    
• Glenn Bailey                                                
• Allison Chatowsky
• Susanne Bianco                        
• Shawn Kelly                                                
• John Horsman
• Melanie Rogers                                    
• Chelsey Baron Karnes                                    
• Debra Micheli
• Gilbert Fagnant                                    
• Stephanie Fagnant                                    
• Brittany D’Urso
• Marie Montenegro                        
• Matthew Lenehan                                    
• Michelle Lussier
• Alejandro Gonzalez                        
• Tom Records                                                
• Todd Hurteam
• Scott Salhany                                    
• Raul Vicente, Jr.                                    
• Paula Schartner
• Mike Faiola                                    
• Chris Masse                                                
• Katie Masse
• Cheryl Zevzavadjian                        
• Christine Arouth                                                
• Kerri Lynn Ouellette
• Lisa Kilduff                                    
• Elizabeth Tully                                                
• Thomas Cross
• Katy Piscatelli                                    
• Joseph Piscatelli                                    
• Paul Lundblad
• Brian Phillips                                    
• Roberto Calvano                                    
• Dorothea Calvano
• Jim McGwin                                    
• Katie McGwin                                                
• Steve Campo
• Andrew Pearce            

Thank you to Maintenance Department staff members David Young and Dan Fish from the North Kingstown School Department who provided support for the site preparation and on the build day.           

Thank you also to the news media that helped us to get the word out and solicit community support including the Standard Times, the Independent, The North Kingstown View, and The North Kingstown Patch.                       

About the Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School and the PTO:

The Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School is a vibrant elementary school located in a residential neighborhood off Mark Drive in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  The school serves 350 students in kindergarten through grade five.  For six years, the school served only grades four and five until it returned back to a traditional configuration in the fall of 2010. 

The Quidnessett Elementary School PTO was founded in 1982 and became a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in September 2010.  The mission of the Quidnessett Elementary School PTO is to promote communication among parents, teachers, students, and staff, and to raise funds to enhance the educational and social experiences of students through cultural arts programs and school functions. The PTO includes parents, teachers, the principal, the secretary, and staff members from the Child Opportunity Zone Family Center.

The PTO worked diligently over almost a two year period to raise $45,000 in grants and donations to renovate the playground that had deteriorated over the years, was not up to code, and did not contain equipment that was accessible for children of all ages and abilities.  The North Kingstown School Department did not have the resources to make the necessary improvements.  The largest donation came from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and national non-profit KaBOOM! who awarded the Quidnessett Elementary School PTO a $15,000 Let’s Play Community Construction Grant.

The Let’s Play Community Construction Grant is part of the Let’s Play initiative introduced in November of 2010 – a $15 million, three-year commitment from Dr Pepper Snapple Group to KaBOOM!, the national non-profit saving play by ensuring there is a great place to play within walking distance of every child. Together through Let’s Play, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America.  

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott's, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Penafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.

About Let’s Play

Let’s Play is a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) to get kids and families active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!, the national non-profit that’s saving play. Together, through Let’s Play, DPS and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America. For more information, visit Let’s Play on Facebook at www.facebook.com/letsplay or online at www.LetsPlay.com.

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this play deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built more than 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.