SAKRETE Participates in Charlotte Playground Build

Words: Dan Kamys SAKRETE Participates in Charlotte Playground Build

??

In a matter of hours, an empty field became a new playground for Charlotte, N.C.-area school kids. SAKRETE volunteered for and sponsored the event, with the recent completion of the playground at Winding Springs Elementary School.

In January, SAKRETE presented the Carolina Panthers with a $3,100 check for the SAKRETE Sack Program, which benefits the Charlotte-area Business Volunteer Council (BVC), a coalition of local businesses which promote volunteerism. The BVC, in turn, uses these donations for the Charlotte Playground Build Program.

On April 13, 2011, the playground was built in less than seven hours. SAKRETE and more than 40 other sponsoring businesses and 200 volunteers came together to make the new playground a reality.

For the fifth year, SAKRETE made in-kind product donations, in addition to the monetary donation, to the BVC to be used toward the playground build. SAKRETE's in-kind donations consisted of volunteers to help with the construction, five pallets of Fast Setting Concrete Mix, twenty-five 60-pound bags of High Strength Concrete Mix and 23 pallets of mulch from the Lawn and Garden division of Oldcastle, the parent company of SAKRETE.

This year’s donation brings the company’s total cash contributions to nearly $90,000 since the SAKRETE Sack Program was launched in 2006.

“Being part of a playground build in our local community is one way in which we can give back,” says Johnsie Beck, president of SAKRETE North America. “This is the fifth year we’ve sponsored the SAKRETE Sack Program, and every year, we look forward to spending the day with other volunteers to build an amazing playground.”

To see SAKRETE images from the Charlotte Playground Build Program, visit http://goo.gl/mS9LL.

Elevating Masonry: Old Habits, Familiar Tools, and the Real Reason Masonry Contractors Aren’t Making the Switch
May 2026

Ask a masonry contractor how they run their jobsite, and the answer probably sounds familiar: paper logs, a flurry of texts, maybe a shared email thread. It works until it doesn’t. And yet, even as purpose-built field management software has become more a

The Cornerstone of Craftsmanship: Nurturing Masonry Talent Through Competition
May 2026

In the evolving landscape of skilled trades, masonry stands as a testament to enduring craftsmanship and dedication. Yet, the question of how to cultivate and showcase this vital expertise remains paramount. While the bright lights of national competition

There’s the Typical Way to Brace a Wall. And Then There’s a Better Way.
May 2026

Wall bracing is one of the most important safety considerations on any masonry jobsite, yet it is often treated as a task that happens after the wall is built. Crews return, equipment is brought in, and time is set aside to secure walls that have already

Remembering Harry McGraw
May 2026

The masonry industry has lost one of its great teachers and craftsmen with the passing of Harry Edward McGraw, who died April 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 93.