“Make A Smile” Becomes A Reality

On May 4,2008 the dream of many correctional professionals became a reality when teams started to gather in three communities hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. At ACA in Kansas City, a group gathered headed by Art Leonardo, Executive Director of NAAWS**, and decided to rebuild a park in New Orleans. As the discussion grew, the group agreed to rebuild another park in Louisiana because other areas were affected by the storm also. More discussion followed and we expanded the project to include a third park in Mississippi. In the months that followed, sites were selected based on recommendations from local correctional professionals and visits were made to each park. The week of May 5, 2008 was selected and it was determined that all three parks would be built at the same time.

            Back to the planning stages:  As the thoughts grew, so did support. The major sponsors were the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation, North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents and the Association of Women Executives in Corrections. Michael Hines, who was a major player in getting the play stations ordered and delivered, also represented Embarq at the initial meeting.

            We needed a name for the playground project, as well as a logo, and thought about what would be good. Mel Williams, Vice President of NAAWS, came up with “MAKE A SMILE” and before long had a t-shirt designed with a large smiley face on it. The shirt was presented at ACA in Grapevine, Texas in a booth provided by ACA and we sold out of them in a couple days. Mel was also given time during the opening session agenda to present the “MAKE A SMILE” project to those in attendance. Money began to come in and the project started to gain momentum. A big boost came when Optimist International donated $20,771.00 to help pay for the playground equipment.

            As I said above, on Sunday, May 4 the crews arrived and checked into what would be their living quarters for the next few days. Some stayed in local hotels but most chose to stay in churches that had offered their facilities to us. It was no Holiday Inn but it was fun and the teams got closer together by living with one other. Different groups provided great meals and they were excellent. I think everyone worked hard but gained weight. At “my” site (Moss Point), we had one shower for men and one for women and, believe it or not, we all had a hot shower each day. On the work site we had a bathroom but no water. There was water across the street so we had a five-gallon bucket that we kept full of water. If you used it, you went across the road and filled it for the next person.

            Concrete had been poured at each site prior to the crews’ arrival so that work could begin immediately and begin it did. We had some problems getting play stations delivered (a driver did not have his log book filled out and got stopped in Mississippi) and scheduling problems arose but the crews continued to move on. The first play station arrived in New Orleans and immediately construction was started. On Tuesday, the crew working on the play station moved to Bogalusa and started on the one there. The play station for Moss Point did not arrive until Wednesday morning.

            Monday was hectic at each park as work schedules had to be changed. In New Orleans, people and kids came from everywhere to help build their park. Mel Williams, in charge of that site, got metal brushes and had the fence all around the park scraped and painted. In Bogalusa, Mark Saunders had his crew building the shelter and picnic tables, and putting together tables and benches. In Moss Point, the shelter was going up, we were staining plywood for the shelter and working on benches. I seemed to spend most of my day going to and from Lowe’s!

            Monday evening there was plenty of Advil around and some very tired folks. I think everyone slept well. Tuesday was much like Monday except that New Orleans and Bogalusa had play stations to install. Moss Point continued to work on everything except that and by the end of the day most things were completed. The shelter was four hours from completion. We had a second grade teacher come by the park and give us Thank You cards made by her class. Those really made us feel good.

            Wednesday at 7:00am the play station was delivered to Moss Point and the crew was there to unload it. After a few problems it was on the ground and unloaded, parts were laid out and holes were dug. Assembly was started and before long, it started to grow out of the ground. The site looked like a beehive with everyone doing his or her task. We actually completed assembling the play station about 4:00 pm. The shelter was finished and all we had to do was put mulch around the play station, almost 100 cubic yards of it. We finally finished about 8:00 that evening.

             Thursday morning, we had a ribbon cutting and the team headed home. Tim and Ann Schuetzle from North Dakota and I headed to Bogalusa to see the park there and then went on to New Orleans to do what we could to help finish that park. At the end of the day, I took Tim and Ann to a hotel near the airport and then I headed back to Moss Point (see why in the related article about Danny Rae Clark that follows next).

            The plan had been for Mel, Mark and I to meet daily to discuss progress and problems and to go to each park. We found out Monday this would not work so each of us stayed at “our” park. Mel did bring the crew to each site. I wish that I could have been at each one.

            On Friday morning I met Mel and his son and daughter-in-law on the Moss Point site to get finished pictures. While we were there a little boy about four feet tall came to the park, pushing a wheelbarrow with a two-step ladder in it. We watched him unload it and head for the basketball goal we had erected. The chain net we put on it was broken and he told us he was going to fix it. I told him that I did not think he would be able to reach it so I would do it for him. I could not reach it either. Larry Hill said he would get it fixed that day. The young man then started picking up sticks and when I asked what he was doing, he told us ”I am going to take care of this park.”     

            The last park to be completed was the largest one. It was in New Orleans and I have been told that a band showed up and a lot of happy kids were on hand for the occasion. As I reflect back, I cannot imagine a better project for corrections professionals from across America to have undertaken. We made friends and started to understand what the people who experienced this horrible storm endured. Best of all, we were paying it forward.

            Thanks to everyone for ensuring that “Make a Smile” became a reality. There were so many people involved in raising funds, donating materials, working, feeding the crews and taking care of things at home while some of us were able to go work that I could not begin to name them all. So, again, thanks to EVERYONE who helped with this project. You know who you are!

-- Don Dease, CPO Foundation Representative

Don Dease