Tuesday was a day off from practices for Atlanta Falcons players, but some of them ended up getting a workout in Suwanee.
The Falcons organization brought 30 volunteers, including some cheerleaders and about a half dozen players to the future site of the Suwanee Town Center on Main park to help build the city’s new PlayTown playground.
Credit: Curt Yeomans
Credit: Curt Yeomans
It was by no means a day to relax for the players. Instead of lifting weights in a gym, they were pushing wheelbarrows full of dirt, shoveling dirt and cement mix, carrying boards, operating power tools such as drills, screwdrivers and saws.
“I feel like this is a little more homegrown,” Falcons safety Richie Grant said. “You’ve got to carry some things and it can be awkward. (With) weights, it’s all in one motion, one movement, but you’ve got to carry wheelbarrows and wood and power saws and all of that stuff. It’s a little more homegrown than football.”
The effort at Suwanee is nothing new for Falcons players. Team officials said players spend their Tuesdays giving back to communities across metro Atlanta through a variety of efforts, ranging from visits to Boys and Girls Clubs to trips to schools, military bases and nonprofits.
The team even helped launch a girls flag football program in Gwinnett County in 2018.
Credit: Curt Yeomans
Credit: Curt Yeomans
“It’s always good (to give back),” Falcons offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil said. “We’re given such a high platform and so many people look up to us and idolize us. Anytime you can be around them and normalize it a little bit and just interact with people every day, it’s just really nice.”
But, some of the players who came to help with the playground in Suwanee said this effort was special. The playground is designed to have features for all children, regardless of whether they have a disability or not.
Grant said his front and back yards were his playgrounds when he was a child, and he didn’t have many opportunities to go to places designed for young people.
“That’s another reason why I do it, just to give kids somewhere to play and they ain’t have to worry about being outside all day in the heat. They can have somewhere fun to just hang out,” Grant said.
Credit: Curt Yeomans
Credit: Curt Yeomans
PlayTown Suwanee co-chairman Zach Whigham said the new playground replaces one that was built on the same spot about 20 years ago. Like the old playground, the new one is being built during a series of community builds.
Credit: Gwinnett Daily Post
Credit: Gwinnett Daily Post
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