Washington, D.C. - Volunteers from The Home Depot and members of AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) will join volunteers from the Sursum Corda community on Thursday, July 22 to construct a new playground in just one day for the more than 450 children who live in the area. The playground, made possible by a partnership between The Home Depot, AmeriCorps*NCCC, D.C. Housing Authority, National Capital Police Fund, community volunteers and organizers from KaBOOM!, will give the children who live in Sursum Corda a new, safe place to play.

The playground design was created with input from children in the community who attended a “Design Day” event in June. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the children who live in the area will be able to watch as the new playground based on their drawings-complete with fanciful slides, colorful swings, and everything else their imaginations created- is constructed all in one day on July 22.

“Having built nearly 200 playgrounds nationwide with The Home Depot associates, we know what a positive impact community play areas have on our children,” said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president & CEO of The Home Depot. “We are excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of AmeriCorps*NCCC with this build and show the power of community service in action.”

This playground is made possible through an ongoing partnership between The Home Depot, the nation’s largest home improvement retailer, and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building safe play spaces in communities across the country. As a national sponsor of KaBOOM!, The Home Depot provides financial support, materials and numerous volunteers. By the end of 2004, The Home Depot will have built and funded 250 KaBOOM! playground projects.

“I can’t think of a better way to mark AmeriCorps*NCCC’s decade of results than by building this new playground,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers AmeriCorps. “We’re grateful to KaBOOM! and The Home Depot for their support. This playground is symbolic of the exceptional contribution that AmeriCorps*NCCC members have made to improving our communities and country over the past ten years.”

The playground build will kick off a special Legacy Weekend commemorating AmeriCorps*NCCC’s 10^th Anniversary. This year, AmeriCorps*NCCC is recognizing a decade of achievement and the ongoing service commitment of its 10,000 alumni with Legacy Weekend service projects in its five campus communities: Denver, CO; Sacramento, CA; Perry Point, MD; Charleston, SC; and Washington, D.C. Each Legacy Weekend includes a playground build in the campus community in collaboration with The Home Depot and KaBOOM!.

“This playground build day will be a community celebration with a clear-cut purpose - to give the children who live here a great place to play, to be fit and strong and to call their own. The people here in Washington, D.C. have been great and KaBOOM! is excited to be a part of this project with The Home Depot, especially as it marks a milestone in the AmeriCorps*NCCC program,” said Darell Hammond, CEO and founder, KaBOOM!.

The Home Depot

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with fiscal 2003 sales of $64.8 billion. The company employs approximately 300,000 associates and has 1,728 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, eight Canadian provinces and Mexico. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

AmeriCorps*NCCC

AmeriCorps*NCCC is a team-based residential national service program for women and men between the ages of 18 and 24. Members serve on environmental, education, public safety, disaster relief, and other projects. About 1,000 members serve full time for 10 months, based at five regional campuses. The three AmeriCorps programs-AmeriCorps*NCCC, AmeriCorps*State and National, and AmeriCorps*VISTA-are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.org or www.americorps.org.

National Capitol Police Fund

The National Capitol Police Fund, formed in 2000, augments through direct financial grants, in-kind donated goods and services, and other support, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s work to foster neighborhood safety across the District of Columbia. Financial support for the National Capitol Police Fund’s programs is provided by area businesses, foundations and individual contributions. The Police Fund is a special community outreach initiative of the Federal City Council, a respected fifty year old non-profit organization based in the Nation’s Capitol.

District of Columbia Housing Authority

DCHA, an independent housing authority, is led by architect Michael Kelly, the executive director whose commitment to excellent service and management has made the DCHA America’s model housing authority. The DCHA is the nation’s leading provider and manager of safe, affordable and well-maintained housing for people of low and moderate income in Washington, D.C. The Authority works closely with residents, landlords, stakeholders and the DC government to improve the quality of life in the District through better housing and diverse neighborhoods. In addition to providing quality housing, DCHA actively helps its residents grow both personally and professionally through a variety of economic development and self-sufficiency programs, as well as the facilitation of other supportive services.

KaBOOM!

Since 1995, KaBOOM! has been motivating communities nationwide to create healthy play opportunities for young people. KaBOOM! has created more than 600 new playgrounds and improved more than 1,300 others. A model of fiscal efficiency, KaBOOM! was named one of Fast Company’s first-ever Social Capitalist Award winners in 2003 and one of America’s 100 Best Charities by Worth magazine in 2002. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and Redwood City, CA. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

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