As part of Ruppert Landscape’s “Field Day” event, 80 employees from Ruppert Landscape’s Maryland, DC and Virginia branches came together to put the finishing touches on the grounds of the Children’s Hospital’s new Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
Field Day is Ruppert Landscape's community service event that enables the company to enjoy friendly competition and team building while donating time and materials to provide an immediate and lasting benefit for the community.
Team members competed in a variety of events: some testing their knowledge and skills, like tree planting and cleanest truck competitions; others fun in nature, like dodgeball; and others that will have a direct, long-lasting, and high-quality benefit for the research campus.
“When we look for potential sites to hold our Field Day, we are looking for a project where we can utilize our landscaping skills and company resources to better our community,” said Craig Ruppert, Ruppert Landscape CEO. “This project came to us through a long-term relationship with one of our customers, Brigg Bunker of Foulger-Pratt, who is on the board of the Children’s Hospital Foundation. We are happy to donate our time and talents to help enhance this campus where researchers are making innovative breakthroughs to improve upon the treatment and care of childhood diseases.”
Over the years, charitable projects associated with Field Day have included parks, playgrounds, and schools that needed a little outside help to jumpstart their renovation.
This day of service on Friday, June 4, involved a significant investment of both time and materials, totaling approximately $175,000 and consisting of 1100 labor hours. To bring this project to fruition, 30 trees, 4700 perennials and 40 yards of mulch will be installed as well as some pruning and removal of dead trees around the property’s perimeter. The Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus is located on a 12-acre portion of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Upon its opening in September of 2021, it will be the nation’s first campus dedicated to pediatrics with the goal of accelerating breakthrough discoveries into new treatments and technologies.
“We are so grateful for the generous support of Ruppert Landscape and the hard work of its teams to transform the landscaping at the new Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus,” said Julie Butler, vice president for the Children’s National Hospital Foundation. “Our innovators will pursue the next great pediatric breakthroughs here, and young people and their families will visit the campus to receive the best care possible. The Ruppert Landscape team ensured that they will be able to do so in a beautiful setting.”
