GE Volunteers Make Summer Camp Even Better
More than 500 volunteers to renovate Camp George Forbes, a camp for City of Cleveland's youth residents
Cleveland, Ohio, May 22, 2007—For anyone who ever attended a summer camp…boating, fishing, hiking, arts and crafts, archery, campfire sing–a–longs and swimming lessons are likely among your fond memories. Thanks to a group of generous volunteers, one summer camp facility in the greater Cleveland area will soon have a fresh new look for happy campers, creating more good memories for years to come.
On Thursday, May 24, more than 500 employees from GE Consumer & Industrial, based in East Cleveland, completed a massive, all–day renovation at Camp George Forbes, a camp for the City of Cleveland's youth residents. Major projects include: replacing 34 windows in the dining hall; rebuilding several sheds; renovating the lakeside deck; and painting the exterior of all camp buildings, including 10 cabins, the dining hall and kitchen. GE Volunteers are donating more than $30,000 in products and materials for this project.
"Our camp project will require a lot of hard work, but we are just the team to do it," says Darren Fron, packaging production manager for GE Consumer & Industrial and project leader of this year's GE Volunteers Global Community Day project at Camp George Forbes. "Over the years, we have 'worked miracles' on the campuses of local nonprofit organizations during our one–day blitzes, improving buildings and grounds at facilities like Camp Ho Mita Koda, Highbrook Lodge and Hiram House Camp. Our team of 500–plus volunteers is pleased to be able to make such a positive impact in the communities in which we work and live."
Camp George Forbes (25440 Harvard Road in Highland Hills) was founded in 1933. The camp serves nearly 4,500 children and senior citizens annually through its various programs – summer residence camp for children ages 9 to 13, holistic life program, senior day camps and holiday festivals. The camp's mission is to provide the City of Cleveland's resident youth with an integrated and unique camp environment. Camp George Forbes offers children a healthy, wholesome and stimulating experience outdoors through living, playing and working together in a natural environment.
"The City of Cleveland and Camp George Forbes extends it sincere gratitude to GE for this "extreme makeover", which will allow the camp to better serve the youth and seniors of the City of Cleveland and continue to make the city a community of choice," said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. "GE's Global Community Days service project is an asset to the region."
A brief ceremony to commemorate the impressive efforts of the day will take place during a lunchtime break. GE and community leaders, including Cleveland City officials, Darnell Brown, Chief Operating Officer, and Michael Cox, Director of Parks, Recreation & Properties, will be on hand to thank the volunteers.
The Camp George Forbes "renovation" is one of the many efforts taking place as part of GE's fourth annual Global Community Days, happening between May and July. An anticipated 20,000 GE employees and retirees from around the world will participate in service projects that cover a variety of local issues, including education, community development and the environment. Crossing six continents and all GE businesses, hundreds of community service projects will serve tens of thousands of people in need.
GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliance, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and "ecomagination," a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE) brings imagination to work, selling products under the Monogram®, Profile™ GE®, Hotpoint®, SmartWater™ Reveal®, Edison™ and Energy Smart™ consumer brands, and Entellisys™ industrial brand. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
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