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Hancock Elementary Students Enjoy Brand New Playground

Keystone Mercy Health Plan and School and Community Leaders Build New,
Safe Playground in One Day

May 23, 2008
Philadelphia, PA - More than 360 students at Hancock Elementary School in Norristown were given a chance to play on a brand new, safe playground on Wednesday, thanks to a team from Keystone Mercy Health Plan that built the new playground in one day on the school's campus.  The senior leadership team of Keystone Mercy Health Plan, led by Anne Morrissey, President of Pennsylvania Managed Care, was joined by Hancock School’s Principal Joanne Gillespie, and local leaders and members of the community for the build. 

This playground project was sponsored by Keystone Mercy Health Plan and was built in an effort to provide a setting for safe, healthy physical activity for the students of Hancock Elementary School, with the goal of decreasing preventable injuries and contributing to the healthy development of the children in the community.    

“We are most grateful for the generosity and partnership of Keystone Mercy Health Plan.  Through every detail of the project, Anne Morrissey and the planning committee have been sincere in their efforts to help our children have a safe, fun place to play,” said Joanne Gillespie, Principal, Hancock Elementary School.  “It was clear at every step that the children’s welfare and their learning and playing environment were to be improved for their benefit.”

The build team began construction at 7:00 a.m., and the playground was completed in time for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m.  At that time, the playground was presented to the children, who were then given the chance to run and play on their new playground for the first time.  As part of the project, the build team also cleaned and painted existing equipment, installed benches, planted trees, and painted a mural in the playground area. 

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, preventable injuries are the leading cause of death for children under the age of 14 in the U.S., with more than 14 million children sustaining preventable injuries that require medical attention each year.  As part of their mission to help build healthier communities, Keystone Mercy Health Plan started the Safe Playground Program to develop safe play spaces for children in underserved areas.  Using the theme “The Power to Change a Child’s World,” the Keystone Mercy team has now built three playgrounds in the Philadelphia area since 2007, with additional projects in the planning stages.   

About Keystone Mercy Health Plan
Keystone Mercy Health Plan, a health care ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in affiliation with Keystone First, Inc., is the largest Medical Assistance managed care organization in Pennsylvania, serving more than 293,900 Medical Assistance recipients.  Keystone Mercy's mission is to help people get care, stay well and build healthy communities. Please visit Keystone Mercy Health Plan for more information.

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