Ribbon cut at Heritage Park
09/25/2007
With fanfare and an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, board members and leaders from the civic, education and business communities, CIS Wake today rededicated its newly renovated Skanska Learning Center at Heritage Park.
Skanska USA Building, Inc., the Triangle's leading construction management business, began the renovation process in early June as a gift to the Heritage Park community. Skanska, its employees and its subcontractors donated time, materials and labor throughout the summer to completely transform the building's interior into a vibrant, welcoming learning environment. The space was reconfigured and updated to better serve the needs of the more than 60 children who visit the learning center every day.
Allen Jones, SVP with Skanska and a member of CIS Wake's board, led the ribbon-cutting along with CIS Wake executive director Susan B. Hansell and philanthropist and CIS Wake supporter Ann Goodnight of SAS. Among the special guests joining in the occasion were Wake County School Board members Beverley Clark, Rosa Gill and Carol Parker and Wake County Commissioners Lindy Brown, Kenn Gardner and Harold Webb.
An in-depth television news report on the event is available here... NBC-17 story >>>
"It is appropriate that we talk about our heritage today as we rededicate the Skanska Learning Center at Heritage Park," said Susan B. Hansell. "Before there was a Skanska Learning Center here, there was the Raleigh Housing Authority seeing and filling the need for student support in afterschool programming and designated space here. There was the Junior League of Raleigh whose volunteers have spent literally thousands of hours here over the years through tutorial support, Girl Scouts, Career Club, and much more."
"Now, we are building a heritage that students, families, staff and the community will look back on with pride in the years to come," Hansell continued. "The newly renovated Skanska Learning Center at Heritage Park is the result of over 90 volunteers donating hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars of materials and technical expertise from Skanska and 12 of their subcontractors. New room configurations, freshly painted walls and new carpet all contribute to improving our students' pride in learning and academic acheivement."
"The challenge today is for the students and community of Heritage Park to embrace the Skanska Learning Center through studying and success in school -- and in life," concluded Hansell.
