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Marketers Step Up To Build Local Playgrounds Where Tax Dollars Lag

Drawn to playgrounds because they often act like new town squares in drawing people together, marketers such as Kraft, Dr Pepper/Snapple, MetLife and CVS are pouring millions into building them. And, with local tax revenues in free-fall, playgrounds are ripe for corporate support.

In October, Kraft Foods made playground-building a centerpiece of its annual company "Delicious Difference Week." About 1,300 employees, including CEO Irene Rosenfeld, built 13 playgrounds, including one in Washington Park on the South Side of Chicago.

Foresters, the life insurance provider, also has opted for playgrounds, recently pledging $1.5 million to build 20 in the United States, where the company, which is based in Canada, has most of its clients.

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