New Orleans playground

MDRT Foundation, KIDS and Prudential Financial Build Playground in New Orleans, Louisiana

Persevering through three day of heat and humidity in New Orleans, Louisiana, 41 volunteers dug holes, raked sand and assembled equipment, all with the common goal of providing a safe and happy place to play for the disadvantaged children of the Hollygrove community.

From May 18 to 21, 2005, volunteers, which included more than 25 MDRT members from around the world, united as a team to give back and leave a permanent gift to the city of New Orleans, the host of the 2005 Annual Meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from June 26 to 29.

This 5,000 square-foot playground, which was being funded in part by a generous donation to the MDRT Foundation from Prudential Financial, was built on the grounds of Trinity Christian Community Center (TCCC) in Hollygrove. TCCC has been a force for positive change within a community in which more than 25 percent of the households have less than $10,000 in annual income, according to the U.S Census Bureau. TCCC provides tutoring, mentoring, in-school and after-school literacy training, summer programs, drug prevention programs, computer literacy instruction and math and phonics programs for approximately 800 children ages 5 through 18 years.

This is the fourth time that the MDRT Foundation has partnered with Kids Around the World (KIDS) to build a playground to create happy childhood memories for underserved children throughout the world.

“This is what MDRT and its Foundation are all about — not just to succeed in business, but to succeed as a person, as a family and as a community. And, we do this not just by giving, but by volunteering and creating a culture of philanthropy,” said Allan G. Hancock, CLU, CHFC, MDRT Foundation President, Diamond Knight and 33-year MDRT member.

The MDRT Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to Prudential Financial for their generous contribution of $50,000 USD, and to all of the volunteers who gave their time and muscle to complete this labor of love.