Ditching hockey gloves for power tools, the New York Islanders joined forces with KABOOM! to champion playspace equity, uniting players' families and staff to revitalize local community life.
BELLEROSE, NY -- On Wednesday, members of the New York Islanders community put on a different kind of glove, as they helped build a brand new playground at the Cross Island YMCA, partnering with KABOOM!.
KABOOM!'s mission statement is to end playspace inequity for good, this being the second year the Islanders have partnered with them to help better the lives of children on Long Island.
"For us, it's huge," Kelly Cheeseman, the Islanders' President of Business Operations, said. "I mean, for us, this is a difficult time of year. We're all looking down the barrel here. Camp starts in nine days. We have sellouts to create in a month, and that takes a lot of pressure and energy. But to do those things in a very diverse, challenging market, you have to be a great team. And these are the days when you come together as a great team.
"You do something that's impactful, and everybody walks away being proud of this logo on this T-shirt, and that means everything. So to have players' wives — I mean, for me too — to have a chance to continue to meet more people — I can't tell you I've memorized every name out there, and I haven't met all the players' wives — but that's what makes a great organization. That we're one unit, and this is what days like this allow us to do."
To learn more about KABOOM!, visit their website.
