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Foresters Financial and KaBOOM! Partner to Increase Play Opportunities for Jacksonville Kids
[April 21, 2018]

Foresters Financial and KaBOOM! Partner to Increase Play Opportunities for Jacksonville Kids


The Jacksonville community was revitalized today thanks to a new playground built at the Winston Family YMCA. In just six hours, more than 200 volunteers from Foresters Financial™, the Winston Family YMCA and the national non-profit KaBOOM! created the new playspace, which will serve more than 6,500 children and their families in the local community for years to come.

"For over 140 years Foresters Financial has focused on our Purpose, which is to help families and strengthen communities," said Jim Boyle, President and CEO, Foresters Financial. "In 2018 we are excited to complete our 150th playground build with KaBOOM!. This partnership creates safe play areas where families can spend quality time together while developing young bodies and minds. We know the Jacksonville community will use this playground for many years to come."

The design for the new playground is based on drawings created by neighborhood children at a special Design Day event held in February when community members met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters Financial to design their dream playground. The drawings inspired the final playground design.

Since 2006, Foresters Financial and KaBOOM! have built 144 beautiful playspaces across 86 cities in 31 states and provinces throughout North America and by the end of 2018, Foresters Financial will have funded more than 150 playgrounds. Thanks to the hard work of over 9,900 Foresters members, sales partners and guests for the last eleven years, we are positively impacting the lives of more than 5 million children by providing them with access to play. Through each new playground, families are better able to spend quality time together right in their own neighborhoods, playing alongside Foresters members and community partners.

"We are fortunate to have community partners who make incredible contributions to help us reach more in need," said Tim Burrows, Executive Director, Winston Family YMCA. "With the support of Foresters Financial and KaBOOM!, the Winston Family YMCA will now be able to serve more families and youth in the Jacksonville community with a safe place to play and grow, helping us move one step closer to building a healthier First Coast."

Play is the business of childhood and is essential to the physical, cognitive, creative, social and emotional development of every kid. It's how kids build strong muscles and healthy bodies; it's how they learn problem-solving, conflict resolution and creativity; t's how they make friends and build strong bonds with adults. Play is critical to a kid's ability to thrive.



Foresters Financial is a KaBOOM! Founding Partner and National Partner. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to ensuring that all kids get the balance and active play they need to thrive.

About the Y
In 2018, YMCA of Florida's First Coast is celebrating its 110th anniversary of serving the Northeast Florida community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For 110 years, YMCA of Florida's First Coast has been providing men, women and children of all ages, and from all walks of life, opportunities to build stronger bonds, live healthy and become more engaged with their communities. Learn more: www.FirstCoastYMCA.org.


About Foresters Financial
Foresters Financial™ is an international financial services provider with more than three million clients and members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and total funds under management of $45.1 billion1. With a history of more than 140 years, we provide life insurance, savings, retirement and investment solutions that help families achieve their financial goals, protect their families and improve their communities. For more information, visit foresters.com.

Foresters Financial and Foresters are trade names and trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Road, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries.

Products offered vary by country. Not all products are available for distribution in all jurisdictions. In the United States, products are offered by The Independent Order of Foresters and its subsidiaries, including Foresters Financial Services, Inc. a registered broker-dealer. Securities, life insurance and annuity products are offered through Foresters Financial Services, Inc. or independent producers. Insurance products are issued by Foresters Life Insurance and Annuity Company, New York, or The Independent Order of Foresters. Investment advisory products and services are offered through Foresters Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

1 in Canadian dollars as of December 31, 2017

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids - especially those living in poverty - the childhood they deserve through great, safe places to play. KaBOOM! inspires communities to make play the easy choice and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of PLAYces. KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build or improve more than 17,000 playspaces, engaged more than 1.5 million volunteers and served over 9 million kids. To learn why play matters for all kids, visit kaboom.org and join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom, facebook.com/kaboom and instagram.com/kaboom. #playmatters #PLAYceforKids

414828A CAN/US (03/18)


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