In Toronto, Canada, Variety Village has a 70-year history of being a place for people of all abilities to be active. At its heart, it is a place where children with disabilities can enjoy themselves in an inclusive, accessible space designed with them in mind. Recently, 75 volunteers from PPG and Air Canada united for a PPG COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® project and revitalized the facility with colors specifically chosen for the children that Variety Village serves.
PPG, Air Canada volunteers create colorful transformation at Variety Village
Credited as the most inclusive and family-friendly fitness, sports and life skills facility in Toronto, Variety Village has worked to help young people with special abilities and those who face developmental barriers to achieve life goals by providing integrated sports and life skills programs in order to improve lives and strengthen the community. Throughout the hallways and offices, the volunteers helped to infuse colors that transform the way visitors think and feel about their surroundings and experiences in the space.
"We truly appreciate and thank PPG and Air Canada Foundation volunteers for providing a much needed colorful makeover of our facility through PPG’s Colorful Communities initiative,” said Karen Stintz, President and CEO, Variety Village & Variety - the Children’s Charity of Ontario. “The volunteers’ enthusiasm and efforts were instrumental in providing children with disabilities a safe and welcoming space with to enjoy.”
According to PPG color and design manager, Rosa Colucci, the goal for the project was to make the common areas more inviting and appealing through color usage. An important secondary goal was to create spaces that enhanced learning, supported ongoing educational curriculum and fostered creativity for all stakeholders.
“There were several design challenges in the space. In the cafeteria, an existing horizontal red stripe was used to separate the high and low areas. Color blocking was further introduced by painting Maybe Maui (DLX 1210-4) in a cozy corner and using Idyllic Isle (DLX 1235-4) on an opposite wall.”
Variety Village also serves the community by providing services for neurodiverse children. The classrooms where these services take place were also painted with soft colors to reduce contrast including Harmonious (DLX 1120-5) and Frosted Lilac (DLX1173-3).
Air Canada and PPG’s Aerospace business have shared a long-standing customer relationship. When the opportunity to refresh Variety Village with vibrant new colors arose, the partnership achieved a new milestone. With support from employees in PPG’s Architectural Coatings business and members of PPG’s Abilities First Employee Network, the building’s transformation came to life.
“It was wonderful to see Air Canada and PPG employees join forces for the day and contribute to a meaningful cause. When we come together, we can do so much more, as evidenced by the colorful impact our painting had on bringing new life to the hallways, offices and classrooms of Variety Village, a community center that has had such a significant impact on helping kids reach new heights,” said Marie-Claire Desroches, Air Canada Foundation events and initiatives manager.
For Mariana Molinolo, customer service manager in PPG’s Aerospace business, the impact of this project goes beyond a fresh coat of paint.
“We know the possibilities and potential that paint can create. Colors can infuse hope, comfort, energy and purpose into a space,” said Molinolo. “We had power in numbers and commitment by joining with our partners at Air Canada. Every can of paint and volunteer effort was dedicated to the singular purpose of supporting Variety Village and the impactful ways they help children with disabilities reach their full potential, get off the sidelines and get involved in activities in a space designed for them.”
To learn more about how PPG Colorful Communities projects make life-changing differences, click here.