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Workers build a playground in New Orleans.
Albert Lea insurance agent helps build New Orleans playground
Published Friday, December 5, 2008
A new playground is the focus of renewal for a neighborhood in New Orleans’ flood-ravaged lower Ninth Ward. Last weekend an Albert Lea insurance agent was part of a 270-person crew that installed playground equipment at the site.
Randy Cirksena joined other State Farm Insurance agents and a contingent of U.S. Marines in a seven-hour building project designed to serve a new modular school, consisting of 50 to 60 portable classrooms. The previous school was leveled after serious damage was inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. A recently constructed hospital stands empty nearby, another victim of the storm’s fury.
Abramson Science & Technology Charter School will be enhanced by the new playground. The new school is one of 66 schools in the Recovery School District, a special district administered by the Louisiana Department of Public Education.
Last Friday dawned wet and blustery in the Crescent City, but it didn’t dim the enthusiasm or the work ethic of the construction crew. The day began earlier for Cirksena than most of the workers, as he had to be at the worksite by 5 a.m. He was one of four team captains at the playground site who had to supervise the installation of the playground equipment.
The worksite had been cleared and holes for piping drilled by KaBoom and AmeriCorps prior to the beginning of last week’s construction. KaBoom is a 12-year-old national nonprofit organization that has led the building of more than 1,500 playgrounds, pairing community leaders with corporate sponsors to build play areas for kids. AmeriCorps is a federally mandated network of service programs intended to engage Americans in intensive efforts to provide needed services in public safety, health, education and the environment.
Operation Playground, a KaBoom-sponsored initiative, builds playgrounds in Gulf Coast communities affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Cirksena said 16,000 pounds of cement were poured at the playground using wheelbarrows and hand labor.
This was the third trip to New Orleans for Cirksena since the hurricane blasted the city in Aug. 2005, and the second work project he has been involved in there. Many changes have occurred in the ethnic makeup of the lower Ninth Ward since the floodwaters receded, Cirksena said.
“Most of the people who lived here before Katrina were African-American. The new immigrants are mostly Russians who have come here to work,” Cirksena said.
The modular charter school has classes from kindergarten through 10th grade and primarily serves the children of the new immigrants. A 12-foot fence was erected around the school and playground complex to protect against vandalism.
Returning New Orleans residents are credited by Cirksena with being a main driving force in the city’s recovery efforts.
“These people are there because they want to rebuild their lives,” Cirksena said.
A New Orleans resident who provided transportation for the work crews related a sad story to Cirksena.
The driver’s brother was in military service and was called in to help with hurricane relief efforts. The massive pumps that help keep water out of the city were sometimes operating slowly, or even stopping altogether. An investigation revealed that human bodies were gettting into the pumps, stalling their operation. The driver’s brother asked to be restationed.
State Farm has long been a sponsor of the Bayou Classic, an annual football showdown between Grambling State and Southern University. The company’s involvement in the Bayou Classic helped lead it into involvement in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina struck. Cirksena said that the relief efforts in New Orleans are part of an ongoing commitment by State Farm to the communities which they serve nationwide.
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Comments
Posted by COPK (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good Job Randy for helping give back to those in need!
Posted by SRO (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos to you Randy! Awesome story
Posted by intellectual_being (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos? Are you serious? He worked for 7 hours. Big deal! Looks like a publicity stunt to me.
Posted by asdf (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
intellectual_being: get a life. go cry to someone who cares
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
See world we have great people that do great things coming from Albert Lea.
Posted by demo1960 (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That is a great thing. Had a relative down there recently to volunteer and it is still a mess. Our federal government really let those people down. But our country is full of corporations, small businesses and individuals that want to help.
Posted by demo1960 (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
intellectual
How many hours did you work?
Posted by SRO (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
intellectual_being,
Yes I did say Kudos to Randy AND I was serious. It doesn't matter how many hours he worked with the other people on this project, its the fact that HE did.
Get a grip! Not everybody volunteers for free publicity. People like him do it because they care about more than themselves.
Posted by alhsgrad90 (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with most saying kudos but also could he have done something here in Albert Lea as well.
Posted by OldTrojan (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great job Mr. Randy! Old S.L. Johnson would have never done anything like this to help out less fortunate folks.
Posted by veneratio (anonymous) on December 5, 2008 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As a resident of the Greater N'awlins area it is indeed a great thing that Minnesotans are volunteering to help rebuild the area.
Although the Ninth Ward should have been leveled and redone from the ground up, it would have been a lot less hassle. With that said, the rest of the nation CANNOT place all of the blame on the Federal Gov't, infact it really is not the responsibility of the taxpayers of other states to pay for the rebuild of NOLA.
Most of the blame goes to the mismanagement of former Governor Blanco , and Mayor Ray Naggin of New Orleans / Orleans Parish. Those two idiots couldnt manage a mini-mart.
It sure is nice to see MN plates once again in this area, and makes me miss home (breed born and raised in AL 30+ yrs) sometimes, but NOT the snow or ice, HA.
So once again Kudos to those who spend their time and volunteer, and bringing some of that MN quality craftsmanship and MN niceness, I just hope the traffic wasn't to bad for ya.
Posted by standingby (anonymous) on December 6, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good for you Randy, I have always considered you a good person, your thoughful actions support my belief.
Posted by nisperos (anonymous) on December 6, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Very cool story! Kudos to Randy and the State Farm crew!
Now which local group wants to build a playground for all? Check out this playground in Fort Collins, Colorado:
http://fcgov.com/aro/inspirationplaygrou...
Bringing the magic of play to children of all abilities.
Its Purpose
Inspiration Playground is a place that brings children and families of all abilities together to share play experiences, recreation and relaxation. It enables children with and without disabilities the opportunity to play independently on the same equipment.
A Place to Play
Inspiration Playgound offers a play surface that allows for wheelchairs, walkers and support braces. Rather than inaccessible apparatuses, the playground supplies equipment that encourages activity and aids in overall childhood development. This free, outdoor play environment includes safe, stat-of-the-art, sensory-rich structures that encourage integration and the development of cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills.
A Place for Families
Inspiration Playground has play opportunities that delight children's imaginations no matter their age or ability. Similar playgrounds have shown that grandparents also benefit from taking their grandchildren to such playgrounds because of the sure footing and safety it allows for them and the children. By including the often overlooked children with special-needs as fully- participating community members, our community has set a standard for other communities to emulate
Posted by nisperos (anonymous) on December 6, 2008 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This story includes a video of Inspiration Playground:
Fort Collins Playground Unites Children, April 12, 2008: http://cbs4denver.com/local/inspiration....
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