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Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins and Farm Bureau Insurance Cut Ribbon on Ken-O-Sha Park

October 10, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins and Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan on Monday unveiled their $15,000 media room makeover for Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary School, which was chosen in May from 21 elementary and middle schools throughout Kent County as the winner of their second annual Media Room Makeover Contest.

Located in a 52-year-old building at 1353 Van Auken St. SE in Grand Rapids, Ken-O-Sha Park provides an inclusive environment for 165 students enrolled in preschool through fifth grade. The school also houses the Grand Rapids Oral Deaf Program and Physically Impaired Program, which provides special education services to children from other school districts within Kent County.

Through this makeover, Ken-O-Sha Park's media room received new bookshelves, a reading nook, furniture, carpet, blinds, paint, and window and wall decorations, along with asbestos abatement. Students will also enjoy using new Chromebooks. (Click here for before and after photos of the room.)

Several dignitaries spoke at the outset of today's event, including Griffins vice president of community relations and broadcasting Bob Kaser, Farm Bureau Insurance vice president of marketing Vic Verchereau, and Ken-O-Sha Park principal Stephanie Villalta. After the ribbon-cutting, a dozen Ken-O-Sha Park students and their parents received their first look at the school's new media room.

Work on Ken-O-Sha Park's media room began in late July, when a host of volunteers - including field agents and employees from Farm Bureau Insurance and others with connections to the school - put in a full day of demolition, painting, playground maintenance and yard work. Over the last 10 weeks, the makeover has been led by the efforts of Mike Case of Case Construction, painter Tyler Sprague, Rockford Flooring, and Steve Ritsema of the Griffins. Additional project support was provided by Seven's Paint, Closet Concepts, the Griffins Youth Foundation, and Jim Palmer of Shaw Contract Group, which donated new carpet for the room.

"Words cannot express how grateful I am for this opportunity that we've received," said Villalta. "We have amazing students here at Ken-O-Sha, and they truly deserve the world. Unfortunately, tough budgets limit what we can provide for students sometimes, as far as building design, décor or furniture [are concerned] - not that those are always the most important pieces of an education, but they give the students a chance to feel proud of where they're at and proud of their school.

"Winning this contest through the Griffins and Farm Bureau Insurance has brought something to the students that we as a staff could not provide and otherwise may never have happened. Our students now have the opportunity to enjoy reading in a bright library with some fun décor and comfortable seating," she continued.

"It was very touching through this process to see all of the volunteers come and give of their time and show how much they care about these students that they've never even met. A huge thank you to the Griffins and Farm Bureau Insurance!"

Each of the other two finalists of the Media Room Makeover Contest - Red Hawk Elementary in Cedar Springs and North Rockford Middle School - has received $250 toward upgrading the amenities of its current media room. Through the inaugural Media Room Makeover Contest in 2015, the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center won a new media room that its 260 students have been enjoying since the start of the 2015-16 school year.

Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan, beginning its third year as a Griffins corporate partner, was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why they are known as Michigan's Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services-life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate©, and more-protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.

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