Vikings pitch in on playground
Players, staff do a day's work at north Minneapolis school

By Sean Jensen
St. Paul Pioneer Press
June 5, 2008

Eric Mahmoud figured he was being Punk'd.

The co-founder of Seed Academy / Harvest Prep School in north Minneapolis, Mahmoud received a call from Brad Madson a few months ago.

The Vikings' executive director of community relations informed Mahmoud that his charter school had been selected to receive a new playground, courtesy of the club, KaBOOM! and Toro.

"We had an old, unsafe playground, and we've been trying to raise money for it," said Mahmoud, who founded Seed Academy as a 10-child day care with his wife, Ella, in 1985. "Then I got a call out of the blue from Brad Madson.

"I thought it was a joke."

That wasn't all. The three companies sought the students' input, and they combined forces to build the playground in a single day.

"It's a dream come true," Mahmoud said. "It's not just writing a check. This is phenomenal." [More]

Learn more about KaBOOM! partnerships with professional sports teams.