Synthetic Turf Council Donates New Playing Field & Fitness Center to City of Refuge

On Wednesday, December 9 at 1:00 p.m., the Synthetic Turf Council (STC), a non-profit trade association, unveiled a 4,800 square-foot beautiful, grass-like synthetic turf play field and fitness center donated through the generosity of its members for the children and families at the City of Refuge located in downtown Atlanta (1300 Joseph E. Boone Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30314).  The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include City of Refuge CEO Bruce Deel, COO Jeff Deel, local area VIPs and STC staff members.

Since 1996, the City of Refuge provides resources that arrest crisis; restore self-respect and transition individuals and their families back on the road to independence and positive social engagement with life-building tools to individuals and families in Atlanta who are living on the margins. The service at the City of Refuge campus spans multiple areas of need – from food, clothing and shelter to job training, placement, housing, healthcare and education.

“Our goal is to provide access to and information about the best possible opportunities for success to those who are willing to work hard for positive change,” said Jeff Deel, COO, City of Refuge. “A donated play field will allow a child to just be a child.”

The Synthetic Turf Council and its members are dedicated to providing safe and durable synthetic turf to millions of users across the country. Since 2007, an. estimated 4.5 billion square feet of synthetic turf has been installed around the world by schools, playgrounds and community parks in the U.S. and Canada.

About City of Refuge

Started in 1997, the City of Refuge is a non-profit organization dedicated to community development efforts that lead to the stability and sustainability of the local community. In 2003, City of Refuge was donated a 200,000+ sq. ft. warehouse on an eight-acre tract on Joseph E. Boone Blvd. in downtown Atlanta.

The mission of City of Refuge is to bring light, hope and transformation to Atlanta’s last, lost and least. This may sound like an impossible task. But spend a day walking our streets and talking to those who call City of Refuge their home, their place of work and their place of service, and you’ll start to see that miracles can and do happen here.

• 300 residents year-round, all women and children
• 120-day transitional program
• 80% of those that complete the program are successful in maintaining employment and living independently
• Many residents are offered the opportunity to enter the culinary or auto-tech training programs
• 80% of those that complete the program are successful in maintaining employment and living independently
• Full range of services offered – employment readiness, resume prep, job placement/referral, financial classes, parenting classes, DFCS, domestic violence issues

We provide resources that arrest crisis; restore self-respect and transition individuals and their families back on the road to independence and positive social engagement with life-building tools to individuals and families in Atlanta who are living on the margins. Our services span multiple areas of need – from food, clothing and shelter to job training, placement, housing, healthcare and education. Our goal is to provide access to and information about the best possible opportunities for success to those who are willing to work hard for positive change.

Donated by the STC through the Generosity of its Members

Act Global

Alpine Services, Inc.

Anax Turf LLC

APW Enterprises

Armacell, LLC

BDE SportsTurf

Bonar Yarns

Bonar Yarns - Greg Roscoe

Broce Manufacturing

Brooks & Sparks, Inc.

BuzzTurf LLC

Challenger Industries Inc.

Controlled Products / Synthetic Turf International, LLC

DK Enterprises

DSSS (Design & Solutions for Sports Surfaces Ltd.)

ForeverLawn Inc.

InnovaNet Group

Innovative Base Technologies

Kromer Co. LLC

Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC

The Motz Group

Permavoid Technologies (USA) LLC

Pioneer Athletics

PrecisionJet / TurfBond

Princeton University - Jeffrey Graydon

R.F. Binne & Associates

Schmidt Associates, Inc.

Schmidt Associates, Inc. - Kyle Miller

SPORTS FIELDS Inc.

Sportworks Field Design

Synlok Adhesives

Synthetic Turf Council - Rick Doyle, Terrie Ward, Melanie Taylor

Target Technologies International Inc.

ThermaGreen Environmental

TLI Sports Inc. / Turbo Link

USGreentech