NEW ORLEANS, LA.- January 30, 2007 "“ Students at six New Orleans elementary schools will soon have new places to swing, slide and play, courtesy of Fannie Mae and the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!. On February 13, more than 1,500 volunteers will construct playgrounds at six elementary schools across the city in conjunction with Fannie Mae’s national conference in New Orleans. These six new playgrounds will provide a great place to play for nearly 36,000 New Orleans children.

"Children dream the darndest things, and the folks at Fannie Mae are thrilled to help KaBOOM! build these new kid-designed playgrounds in New Orleans," said Fannie Mae President and CEO Dan Mudd. "Our volunteers and funds are just a small part of our big, long-term commitment to help the region rebuild and renew. We've been here for years, we’ve been here through the aftermath, and we're here for the long haul."

Fannie Mae is investing over $400,000 through its Renaissance Fund as well as supplying more than 1,000 employee volunteers for the playground projects as part of its ongoing commitment to help rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The Renaissance Fund was established by Fannie Mae to provide grant funds to local nonprofits, government agencies and other organizations to assist them in their disaster relief efforts. To date Fannie Mae has distributed over $6 million dollars from the Renaissance Fund.

The six playground sites are Martin Behrman Elementary Charter School, John Dibert School, McDonogh #32 Charter Elementary School, Benjamin Banneker School, Einstein Charter School and Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. The new playgrounds were designed by students at these schools.

Planning began in December, when students met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Fannie Mae to draw their "dream" playgrounds. The children’s drawings were used to create the final playground designs. In addition to the new playgrounds, volunteers will also build picnic tables, benches, shade structures and take part in landscaping projects. Planning committees made up of teachers, parents and representatives from KaBOOM! and Fannie Mae have planned these projects as well as volunteer recruitment, site preparation and safety/logistics.

The playgrounds are part of Operation Playground, a KaBOOM! initiative launched in December 2005 to build 100 playgrounds in Gulf Coast communities affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. KaBOOM! has built 19 playgrounds in New Orleans to date as part of this initiative. Each KaBOOM! playground is designed by the children who will use it, planned by local residents and built entirely by volunteers.

"The children in New Orleans have displayed incredible strength in the face of unimaginable adversity, said Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder, KaBOOM!. "We need to give them places where they can just be kids again. For Fannie Mae to demonstrate this level of commitment to helping New Orleans children and the city rebuild is truly remarkable."

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae is a New York Stock Exchange Company. It operates pursuant to a federal charter. Fannie Mae has pledged through its American Dream Commitment to expand access to homeownership for millions of first-time home buyers; help raise the minority homeownership rate to 55 percent; make homeownership and rental housing a success for millions of families at risk of losing their homes; and expand the supply of affordable housing where it is needed most. More information about Fannie Mae can be found on the Internet at www.fanniemae.com.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the past decade, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,100 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including a website and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, CA. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children, particularly the 16 million American children living in poverty, get the active play they need to become healthy and successful adults. KaBOOM! has been a powerful champion for play since its founding in 1996, working with partners to build, improve, and open more than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1,000,000 volunteers and serve more than 6,600,000 children. KaBOOM! creates and catalyzes great places to play; inspires, empowers and leads play advocates; and elevates the societal conversation about the importance of play in children’s lives. For more information, visit kaboom.org/act.

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