ESPN employees participate in latest Habitat for Humanity build in New Britain

Leaders from ESPN's Production and Programming teams participated in a Habitat for Humanity build on Thursday in New Britain, Conn., primarily helping with the framing of two houses on Willow Street. Habitat for Humanity is a Hand Up program, not a Handout. A common misconception is that Habitat gives away homes. This couldn't be further from the truth. Habitat for Humanity offers home ownership opportunities to families who are unable to obtain conventional house financing. Thanks to the work of dedicated volunteers, Habitat is able to sell affordable homes to families who would struggle with or couldnâ€™t afford a typical mortgage. ESPN has helped with the construction of over a dozen homes in central ConnecticutÂ the last several years. This includes the group of homes off Lake Ave. in Bristol, Conn. that ESPN completed a few months back. One of those homes was built specifically for a local veteran and his family. Don Brooks contributed to this post (L-R) Burke Magnus, Mo Davenport and Nick Parsons at the Habitat build in New Britain. "It was a unique and rewarding experience to be able to spend a few hours with our colleagues, working together, to help someone else. It was terrific for all of us." -- Craig Bengtson (right, in red), Vice President and Managing Editor, Newsgathering and Reporting "It is incredibly rewarding to spend time working to help improve the communities around us and having the ability to give back with colleagues and friends is not only an enjoyable, but a powerful experience for all of us." -- Laurie Orlando (center, black sneakers), Senior Vice President, Talent Development & Planning John Wildhack, Executive Vice President, Programming & Production, working on the Habitat build. "Man, what a humbling experience. Humbling to learn about Habitat For Humanity's work and its amazing impact on communities and families. And humbling to display my ineptitude with power tools." -- Rob King (on ladder), Senior Vice President, SportsCenter and News â€œI knew the experience working with colleagues to build a home would be rewarding. Itâ€™s amazing what 25 people can get done in fiveÂ hours with a little training andÂ trust. But as I learned more about Habitat for Humanity and their mission to better entire communities, it was evident how important this organization is to the greater Hartford area. It's humbling to see what our ESPN family can do to help others when we come together as a team." -- Tina Thornton (guiding plywood), Senior Vice President, Production and Multimedia Sponsorship Integration and Management Operations Mark Gross (foreground), Senior Vice President, Production and Remote Events, contributing to the Habitat build.

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