Community Outreach Project of the Year (Donations)
Builders Insurance
After the money came the workers, nearly three dozen Builders Insurance staff on-site at Cooper Elementary School in Loganville, Georgia, on a hot July day last year, to help build the school’s $280,000 adaptive playground.
The idea for the playground grew out of a relationship with one company executive who knew the principal and the school’s needs, said Mark Gromek, Atlanta-based chief marketing and underwriting officer who helped spearhead the effort.
Builders’ 2024 Cooper Elementary School Adaptive Playground Community Outreach Project aimed to foster inclusivity and accessibility, providing children of all abilities an accommodating playground for their diverse physical, cognitive and sensory needs. As Builders explained, most playgrounds are not easily accessible for children with disabilities or special needs, and creating adaptive spaces is often a financial hurdle for public organizations.
Builders provided $140,000 up-front and led several fundraising efforts for the other half. The community, along with Builders employees, agents and vendors, supported the project, Mr. Gromek said.
The playground opened in 2024 at the start of the school year and features numerous accessible play structures, including ramps, wide pathways and transfer platforms that allow children using mobility aids to navigate the playground with ease. It also features “sensory play elements,” which include musical instruments and interactive stations. The playground also has adaptive swings, quiet zones and shaded areas for children with varying sensory needs.
As Mr. Gromek explained, the playground met many needs: those of the children and that of an industry he hopes will continue to help.
“Our message is to get involved,” Mr. Gromek said. “It probably gets back to our values. The insurance industry is an incredibly giving industry, and Builders, we’re on the forefront of that.”
Builders employees, some of whom serve on committees dedicated to community projects and fundraising, often see such efforts as an employment perk, he said.
“Our employees were ecstatic that we did this, and so were our agents and our partners who helped out,” he said. “We do a lot of things for the community; it’s built into our DNA as an organization.”
FINALISTS
• IMA Financial — The broker’s Difference Maker Fund supports associates who experience unexpected financial hardship.
• Lockton — The company donated to charities chosen by associates who stand out for their community service efforts.
• Sedgwick — The company’s year-round corporate giving program combined a shoes and clothing drive with financial donations.
• Simply Business — A group of employees at the insurtech completed a three-day mountain trek in Croatia, raising money to support aspiring small business owners from underrepresented backgrounds.