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3/12/2010
MOGAS helps make playground a reality
MOGAS Industries’ partnership with Black Elementary School of the Aldine Independent School District has involved several avenues of service. The latest involvement has been the assistance with funding for new playground equipment.
Just last week, the company presented the school with a check for one-third of the cost of the playground, which is being facilitated by a group called KaBOOM, out of California.
Another example of the spirit of giving was shown about two weeks ago. An anonymous donor offered some exercise equipment for sale to MOGAS employees with the funds going toward the playground effort. The equipment was purchased within moments of it being announced.
The next step in the playground project is “Build Day,” which is May 7, and will see the site for the playground transform from a cleared spot of land with a few base elements installed to a completed playground. On Build Day, several MOGAS employees will report to the school to assist in the construction of the playground.
KaBOOM officials believe that the playground will be ready for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 that afternoon. Right after that, the playground will begin to be enjoyed by the children of the school, who, until then, only had a flat piece of land – void of any semblance of a piece of playground equipment.
The partnership MOGAS has established with Black Elementary School goes back about two years, when MOGAS began investigating which school could best use some of MOGAS’ resources for the benefit of the students. After numerous telephone calls and visits, it was determined that Black Elementary School, which is about two miles west of MOGAS, would be the most suitable school with which MOGAS could form a business partnership.
Initially, MOGAS purchased several computers for a new computer lab in the school library. The company also collected items for a garage sale in which the faculty and staff of the school and a few MOGAS volunteers helped run the garage sale which netted the school almost $1,000.
The company also held a school supplies drive, with friendly competition between the departments to help the school’s students and their parents with the supplies needed for the school year. MOGAS collected approximately $2500 in school supplies.
Probably the most rewarding part of the partnership is the tutoring assistance about 20 MOGAS employees share with the students on a weekly basis. The number of volunteer tutors/mentors is more than double the number of MOGAS volunteers who helped some of the students near the end of the 2008-09 school year.
MOGAS Industries has a long tradition of volunteering, and giving back to the community. The company has also been involved with the Ronald McDonald House of Houston, the MS 150, and Relay for Life.
