Secretary Norton to Join KaBOOM!, NFL Greats, and Others to Build a "Playground of Hope" as Part of NFL KickOff Celebration

(WASHINGTON)-Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton will join the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, former NFL players and volunteers from the community, Take Pride in America, the Department of the Interior, and The Home Depot in building a playground for children in southeast Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003.

Who: Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton
Darrell Green, Washington Redskins
Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers
Mark Moseley, Washington Redskins
Franco Harris, Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Steeler
Darell Hammond, co-founder and CEO, KaBOOM!
Other NFL Alumni
Volunteers from the community, Take Pride in America, the Department of the Interior and The Home Depot

What: Secretary Norton, KaBOOM!, former NFL players and other volunteers will build a football-themed playground at Hunter Pines Apartments in southeast Washington, DC. Built in just one day, Playground of Hope will provide a safe place to play for the 330 children who live at Hunter Pines Apartments, a William C. Smith & Co. affordable housing development.

When: Wednesday, Sept. 3
10:00 a.m. -NFL Alumni participate in playground build
11:00 a.m. -Press conference

Where: Hunter Pines Apartments
1901 Mississippi Ave., SE
Washington, D.C. 20020

Why: Take Pride in America, a national partnership coordinated by the Department of the Interior, enables volunteers to put their patriotism to work in improving areas ranging from tiny playgrounds to large national parks. The NFL's partnership with Take Pride in America emphasizes the importance of mobilizing community members to volunteer on America's public lands. The Playground of Hope will be a lasting legacy of the NFL's week-long 2003 season kickoff activities in Washington, D.C.