Buffalo Bills offensive linemen Andy Levitre and Eric Wood helped celebrate the surprise opening of the Buffalo Niagara Charter school's new playground on April 26th in Niagara Falls.
The Bills youth foundation helped support the building of the playground and it was recently finished as a special surprise for the kids when they returned to school after their spring break.
The Bills are big supporters of the Play60 initiative, and the playground will go a long way in giving kids at the school a fun place for them to exercise each day.
"With the help of this new playground these students from Niagara Charter School will have more resources to stay active and healthy," said Levitre. "Through the Bills PLAY60 Program we try and teach students that you should be active at least 60 minutes of every day. Whether it be making up a game in your neighborhood, being involved in an organized youth sports league, or playing on your school's playground you need to get into the routine of staying active to lead a healthy lifestyle."
"I really enjoyed seeing the kids faces while playing on their new playground," said Wood. "It's really important for organizations to help out schools in the community of WNY and I'm happy that I was a part of the unveiling. To introduce kids to new ways of staying active is really important in today's society and with this new playground we are doing just that."
The students and administrators of Niagara Charter School were on hand to officially unveil the playground and open it up for the kids to utilize. Billy Buffalo also joined Wood and Levitre to represent the Bills and show the team's support for the project. Wood and Levitre also went from classroom to classroom to visit with students and encourage them to use the playground to help them stay physically fit.
"Niagara Charter School thanks the Bills Youth Foundation for helping us make our new playground a reality," said Karen Marchioli, Niagara Charter School principal. "Niagara Charter believes that children are better prepared to learn when they are healthy. The playground will allow students to work towards healthier lifestyles through outdoor play."
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