OMAHA, Neb.– PenFed Credit Union President and CEO James Schenck, who is also CEO of the PenFed Foundation, along with PenFed employees participated in a playground dedication for the students of Peter Sarpy Elementary School. The school serves many active-duty military families from Offutt Air Force Base.
“At PenFed, we believe that giving back is an important part of doing business and we are proud to have contributed to this important community initiative,” said Schenck. “The children of Peter Sarpy Elementary School deserve this playground equipment to foster strong bodies as well as strong minds.”
Schenck was chosen by the school to provide remarks during the dedication ceremony in recognition of PenFed Foundation’s $50,000 donation to build the new playground for Peter Sarpy Elementary School.
Three student visionaries from Bellevue West High School started the community service project and began planning and fundraising to build the playground in 2016 as their Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) community service project.
The Bellevue West seniors conceived the project in response to the dated playground equipment at the elementary school and wanted to give the children a better place to play. The high school students approached the local PenFed Nebraska Community Coordinator to pitch their idea and request funding. The PenFed Foundation was highly impressed by the students’ ideas and awarded them $50,000 to purchase the playground equipment.
The PenFed Nebraska team helped to connect the students with Nebraska’s Heisman-winning football player Eric Crouch to supply the equipment through his company, Crouch Recreation. The 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base provided an in-kind labor donation through 40 volunteers who worked to construct the playground. Additional donations brought in through fundraisers conducted by the Bellevue West students covered the cost of landscaping.
During the ceremony, PenFed employees, members of the 55th Wing, leaders of the FBLA and Eric Crouch received ceremonial bricks to commemorate the event.
Immediately following the event, the students were dismissed and enjoyed the brand-new equipment on the playground