Following Successful Events in Tennessee and Quebec
On August 23rd, SCA teamed up with national supporter Domtar to refurbish a community skating rink and playground in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.
Since 2012, Domtar has supported SCA’s urban initiatives for youth in cities across the country. SCA crew leaders from New York City, just finished with a season of fieldwork helping urban parks recover from Hurricane Sandy, were excited to travel to Wisconsin to help facilitate the project — and share stories of their work with urban youth. “This is a chance for us to repay all the help Domtar has given SCA,” said Leelah Pewu, who headed up a team of high school students this summer working in Jamaica Bay. “We are so grateful to have this opportunity.”
Last year, Domtar donated $10,000 to help create the Nekoosa skating rink — a multi-purpose space that doubles as a set of basketball courts in the summertime. This weekend, SCA joined Domtar employees and their families to refurbish the skating rink warming house, providing a community space where skaters can come indoors to warm up with snacks and hot drinks — and check out free pairs of skates, if they don’t have their own. “We put out a call asking people to donate used skates,” said Bill Kaberle, Nekoosa Public Works Superintendant, “and you wouldn’t believe how the donations started coming in! This will provide jobs for our local students over winter break, and we’ll be able to make this space accessible to everyone.”
Along with giving a fresh coat of paint to the warming house, volunteers also refurbished shelves and benches to be used in the building, repainted the nearby playground, and pulled weeds and cleared litter around the park. By the end of the project, the park had been restored to offer a brighter and more accessible outdoor recreational space for the entire Nekoosa community.
Sustainability Engagement Manager Heather Stowe, who has worked with SCA to organize many employee engagement events at Domtar, brought along her three-year-old son Liam to join Saturday’s project. “Since SCA’s mission is to encourage future conservationists,” she said, “we at Domtar like to encourage our families and our kids to come out with us to help to give back to the community… This little guy may be only three, but he is all about getting his hands dirty for the planet!”
Saturday’s event followed successful partnership projects with Domtar last year in Tennessee and Quebec. SCA will team up with Domtar again this fall to restore a local state park in Ashdown, Arkansas. Big thanks to Domtar for their continuing support of SCA programs across the country!
Read more about the Nekoosa, Wisconsin project in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune.
Read more about Domtar’s partnership with SCA.
