The Alliance Rec Center is pleased to announce a grant award of $25,000 from First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) supporting the ARC AfterSchool Playground Project. The playground, designed by Crouch Recreation for 2-12year-olds and voted on by students in ARC AfterSchool, will offer community-wide access for all children and families. “Providing children more opportunities to play and interact is a critical component for social, physical, and emotional health,” says Mara Andersen, executive director of the Alliance Rec Center,” and we are dedicated to ensuring all children in our community have access.”
The ARC has been raising funds for this project since 2019 when they were selected as a finalist for FNBO’s Community First Award. “As a member of this community, I am proud to be a part of a company like FNBO that provides such strong local support,” said Sean Ridgeway, commercial ag banker, FNBO. “This playground will serve children for years to come with a fun and safe place to play.” FNBO’s award matches the monetary and in-kind donations received to date. “We know there’s power in giving children more opportunities to play,” says Andersen, “and we are proud to work with organizations like FNBO who demonstrate a commitment to building strong communities for children and families.”
The playground project is part of the ARC’s 2021 Make More Possible Annual Giving Campaign. The campaign, set to kick off publicly in April, has already raised $37,745 of the $85,000 goal. The campaign ties together the completion of the ARC AfterSchool Playground Project as well as the financial aid budget benefiting children and families throughout 2021. “Reaching our goal in April means a playground this summer,” shares Andersen. “The ARC AfterSchool students ask about once a week when they will get to play on the playground, so the pressure is on to get this project done for them and many others in our community!”