Nathan's Famous Grants Imagination Playgrounds, $2,000 of Groceries from A&P to Carey Gardens and O'Dwyer Gardens

Nathan's Famous celebrated leaders in the Coney Island community who make active play possible as part of it's Ready. Set. PLAY. initiative with national non-profit KaBOOM!. Bruce Miller, senior director of operations for Nathan's Famous, officially unveiled two Imagination Playground systems that the company granted to Carey Gardens and O'Dwyer Gardens this past April, and presented representatives from each with a $1,000 gift card to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company's family of supermarkets, specifically Pathmark and Waldbaum's, to be used for groceries, courtesy of Nathan's Famous. Nathan's Famous has been committed to helping rebuild communities impacted in 2012 by Hurricane Sandy, company officials say. These Imagination Playground grants provide an emotional, mental and physical outlet as the superstorm's destruction has limited recreational space for the children of the community. "Children living in Coney Island have had few opportunities to play and limited recreational space since the storm, and these Imagination Playground systems will bring the kids one step closer to having the childhood they deserve," says Wayne Norbitz, president of Nathan's Famous. "I, along with other members of the Coney Island Alliance, want to ensure that our community is healthy and thriving," adds Norbitz. "Providing a recreational outlet, for both mind and body, is essential for the growth of our youth. We cannot thank the kind people at Carey Gardens and O'Dwyer Gardens enough as the two organizations have an incredible impact on the development of our area's youth, championing both physical and emotional growth." Using Imagination Playground blocks, kids can build a new world every day. Because Imagination Playground is child-directed and open-ended, it encourages self-expression through deep, joyful play. Traditional playgrounds consist primarily of fixed equipment, such as slides, monkey bars and teeter-totters, all of which focus on developing children's gross motor skills. Imagination Playgrounds are made up of loose parts that prompt children to transform their environment and create a play space of their own. "We are thrilled that HeartShare St. Vincent Services was nominated for the Imagination Playground experience, which further enhances the physical, emotional and social benefits of at-risk children and teens participating in our youth programs," says HeartShare St. Vincent's Services (HSVS) executive director Dawn Saffayeh. "We are also incredibly grateful for the $2,000 donation, as our children often enjoy nutritional meals and snacks at our after-school programs."