Published On: December 15th, 2015By Leticia Fehling

Bimbo Bakeries USA Renovates Basketball Court for Students at Smith Academy

The company’s Good Neighbor Program seeks to make a difference in local communities.

Taking part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were (l-r) Randy Naylor, P.E. teacher; Jamelle Woodard, teacher; Lizzett Cornu, quality assurance coordinator at BBU Houston; Bimbo mascot “El Osito Bimbo/The Bimbo Bear;” Principal Raymond Stubblefield and Fernando Orozco, BBU Houston plant manager.

[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]T[/dropcap]he students at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Smith Academy now have a wonderful basketball court to play on. The campus is grateful to [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Bimbo Bakeries USA. The local plant resurfaced the blacktop, painted and added basketball hoops. The campus and BBU recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Fernando Orozco enjoyed taking part in the local initiative. He is the BBU Houston plant manager.

“It’s an honor to invest in the health and wellness of students,” said Orozco. “We know how important it is for students to have a safe space to play each day. It’s wonderful to see how excited and happy the kids are when they play.“

Over the summer, the BBU plant nearby contacted the school. The plant spent $7,000 to provide the students the upgraded court. This formed part of BBU’s Good Neighbor Program.

[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]The science of brain development is providing concrete evidence that there is real power in play. Children use play to learn about and interact with their world, and gain the mental, physical and social skills necessary to succeed in their adult lives.

Raymond Stubblefield is grateful to BBU. He is principal at [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Smith Academy.

Smith Academy students present BBU with a thank you card.

“Our students have been enjoying the new court and are most appreciative,” said Stubblefield. “Play is an important part of students’ development. It’s essential that they enjoy a healthy and well-rounded school day. We are thankful to Bimbo Bakeries USA for helping us give our students the power of play.”

The campus invited 250-plus kindergarteners and first grade students to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. To celebrate the new court, Bimbo USA and the school decided to play a little game of basketball. Plant managers and supervisors comprised Team BBU while staff members formed Team Smith Academy.

Lizzett Cornu organized the ceremony and game. She is the quality assurance coordinator at the Mrs Baird’s-Bimbo Bakeries USA Houston plant. Cornu also oversees the Good Neighbor Program in Houston.

“The game was a great way to celebrate the new court,” said Cornu. “It’s a great opportunity to promote physical activity in our community.”

Good Neighbor projects fall under Sembrando Juntos. It translates to “Sowing Together.” Sembrando Juntos covers Grupo Bimbo’s commitment to better business and a better future. The four pillars are Our Associates, Our Community, Wellbeing, and Our Planet. Sembrando Juntos inspires how Grupo Bimbo creates its products. It also inspires how associates work at BBU and throughout Grupo Bimbo.

Orozco and Cornu were not the only BBU representatives playing basketball. The BBU staff showed up in numbers.

BBU Staff @ Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony & Basketball Game

Donald Loisel, product strategy manager
Griselda Gutiérrez, logistics manager
Luis Mesones, plant engineer manager
Alfonso Flores, regional sales manager
Didier Moleres Jr., senior financial analyst
Obed Torres, Oracle specialist
Rubén Reyes, sales field representative
Randy Rose, sales prompt planner
Carol Walker, receptionist
Catalina Sarmiento, production supervisor
Anuar Omarov, intern
Miguel A. Algalán, assistant plant engineer
Yetzabel Miranda, Miguel’s wife
Byron Keyes, production floor leader
Sarah Brady, maintenance supervisor
Kevin Brill, territory sales manager
Jorge Barbarian, production manager
Feliciano Sánchez, territory sales manager
José Luis Sánchez, territory sales manager

Play develops key skills that serve as a foundation for life-long success, including critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and collaboration. These 21st century skill capabilities complement core subject matter knowledge and are highly valued.

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Everyone had fun. Both teams played a good game and the students cheered them on. The students also got a chance to meet [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]”El Osito Bimbo” or [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]”The Bimbo Bear.” Before students headed back to class, Bimbo Bakeries USA gave each classroom a box full of “Gansitos.” Each little snack cake has strawberry jelly along with a creamy filling. The pastry is covered in chocolate with chocolate sprinkles.