Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bulll Tuesday posed with students from the St. Sabina Academy during the building of a safe and accessible playground for St. Sabina. (Photo/Chinta Strausberg)
A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held for the new accessible playground built at St. Sabina Catholic church as a haven for children.
The ceremony and celebration followed a daylong construction project where many hands were on deck to help bring the playground to life.
A bevy of volunteers – including Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull – descended on St. Sabina to be a part of building the playground donated by KaBoom, a national non-profit organization. Helpers came from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Northwestern University, among others.
The diverse group of volunteers included AAOS volunteers, members and supporters of St. Sabina, former Chicago Bear Chris Zorich and a colonel from Virginia stationed in Afghanistan. Their camaraderie quickly became infectious.
St. Sabina pastor, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, looked on with pride as the volunteer crew poured cement, hammered and put together a colorful playground.
Pfleger plans for the new playground to be another haven the church provides for youth. Additionally, St. Sabina offers street organization members a holistic transformation program that includes jobs, GED and City Colleges of Chicago education, counseling, providing them with business suits and other social services.
St. Sabina Academy students later held the ribbon AAOS officials cut.
“I’m elated. I am so happy that we can provide this for the Saint Sabina community,” said Dr. Joshua Jacobs, first vice president of the AAOS and professor and chairman of the Orthopedic Surgery Rush Presbyterian Medical Center, after cutting the ribbon.
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