300 paint brushes. 3,000 nails. 192 cans of paint. 589 pairs of latex gloves. 156 rolls of masking tape. 75 hammers. 750 pieces of plywood. And nearly 400 Hyatt volunteers – all working to make a difference in a Chicago public school.

This is just a quick glimpse into last Friday's very successful volunteer day at Pulaski International School of Chicago. As Brigitta Witt (our VP of Corporate Responsibility) mentioned in her video last week, associates from the Hyatt corporate office, Park Hyatt Chicago, Hyatt Regency Chicago, and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place came together for Chicago's contribution to Hyatt's global initiative held in honor of the launch of Hyatt Thrive – the company's new global corporate responsibility platform.

The sun was shining as all of the volunteers pulled up to Pulaski School. Once all of the volunteers were off the bus and in the main auditorium, it was clear that the nearly 400-strong, orange-clad group would be able to make a huge impact on the school. Excitement was buzzing – associates were noting that the energy was contagious and that the school's staff and 850+ students couldn't be more deserving of this very special day.

After hearing from Dr. Baccellieri (the school's principal), Moses Vega (an 8^th grader at Pulaski), and Mark Hoplamazian, the volunteers and Chicago Cares staff broke out into small groups and got to work! The day's activities included painting murals, hallways and classrooms, building planter boxes and benches, mulching and gardening, and adorning the blacktops with a new world map, hopscotch, four square, a multiplication table chart, and "alpha"gators.

As the day came to a close, everyone was completely thrilled with the progress. In just a few short hours, hundreds of volunteers were able to work together to transform the school – making it a brighter, cheerful, and more stimulating place to learn when the students return in the fall.

On behalf of everyone at Hyatt, we'd like to thank Chicago Cares for their collaboration and teamwork, and everyone at Pulaski International School of Chicago for allowing us to spend a day volunteering at such a special school.

Check out the photos below to see all of the volunteers in action at Pulaski School. Make sure to come back soon to see our highlights video of last week's event!