First lady in San Francisco to promote volunteerism

Jun 22, 2009

The first lady was in San Francisco this afternoon to encourage residents to volunteer in their communities. First lady Michelle Obama appeared alongside California first lady, Maria Shriver, at an area elementary school to kick-off the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

The elementary school is the site of the country’s first fully intergenerational playground, which was constructed by community volunteers. Both first ladies assisted the volunteers as they put on the final touches.

During the visit Mrs. Obama praised the volunteers for their service and expressed the importance of children getting the proper amount of exercise to prevent the development of diseases later in life.

“We can’t underestimate the value of having safe and quality playgrounds in every single community. That’s why this project that we’re doing here today is so important and why organizations like KABOOM are necessary, not just to the health of our children but to the health of the entire nation,” the first lady said.