BANNING, CA - Coalition building is a craft, and Greg Kirwin (akaboomerzoomer) seems to have some talent at it.

The Precious Blood development director, who lives in Banning, managed to assemble a team that included Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, entrepreneur C. Allan “Chuck” Braswell, Beneficial Finance, KaBOOM! and the local archdiocese to finance a doubling of pre-school enrollment at Precious Blood School, 117 W. Nicolet St. in Banning.

Ashley was able to deliver some county funds because the pre-school is universal.

“This pre-school is open to anybody, not just to Catholics,” said Mary Ashley, the supervisor's wife, who toured Precious Blood with her husband on Nov. 1, met students and staff, and had lunch.

Supervisor Ashley said that quality pre-schools are “essential.”

“With so many folks moving into our area, and almost all of them families in which both parents have to work, they can't survive without strong pre-school programs,” he said. “They deserve our help.”

The first step in expanding the pre-school was to build a new playground for tots. Kirwin, whose daughter attends the pre-school, had attended a KaBOOM! playground building seminar and spearheaded the drive to upgrade the Precious Blood tot lot.

Read more about the project here .

Other tidbits from the article:

• The playground was meant to be built in one day, but actually took more than a week.
• The county supervisor said that the county felt its $28,000 donation to the pre-school would be put to good use, because the plans had been well formulated before the county was approached.

Please join me in a congratulatory "Atta Boy" happy dance at your desk for boomerzoomer !