One of three parks projects has the chance to receive $20,000!
Through an initiative called “Meet Me At The Park,” one of three local parks and recreation projects will receive a $20,000 grant – and Seattleites get to choose which one.
This Earth Month, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company, including Disney|ABC Television Group and ESPN, to revitalize parks across the U.S. including projects right here in Seattle through Meet Me At The Park – an initiative that gives back to the places that shape so much of our lives.
Seattle Parks and Recreation aims to make Seattle a better place to live by providing places and programs that encourage people to be healthy and connect with their community, while supporting a healthy environment. That’s why throughout the month of April we’re asking residents to vote on which project they’d like to see receive $20,000 in grant funding.
“Thank you to the National Recreation and Park Association and the Walt Disney Company for this wonderful opportunity, and for supporting projects that promote healthy people, a healthy environment and strong communities. All three of these project choices offer Seattleites meaningful ways to connect with their communities and explore open spaces, and I encourage everyone to vote throughout Earth Month,” said Seattle Parks and Recreation Interim Superintendent Christopher Williams.
The project choices are:
- Summer in the Parks Program: Summer in the Parks Program provides a free summer lunch program and locally relevant environmental education activities to youth. This project will allow staff to run the program in three additional parks and to double the length of the program.
- Camp Long Community Camp Outs: This program provides overnight camp out experiences to diverse low-income communities. Children and caregivers are given the opportunity to walk trails, learn about nature, enjoy camp fires, and have their first experience camping overnight. This project will allow the program to be expanded to an additional community of mostly immigrant and refugee families.
- Youth Summer Sports Camps: This summer program will provide 15 free half-day camps throughout Seattle in a variety of sports for youth including track and field, non-tackle football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, soccer and lacrosse to encourage youth to be active, healthy and explore many different sports opportunities.
By visiting www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark, park supporters can vote daily for their favorite park project. At the end of April, the park project with the most votes will receive grant funding. Everyone who votes will be entered into a drawing for a GoPro Prize Pack.
“At NRPA we believe everyone deserves a great park. That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company on this campaign,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA Director of Conservation. “Everyone is encouraged to join us in giving back to the places that shape so much of our lives by participating in this year’s campaign. A vote for your favorite park is all it takes.”
Last year, the public voted for Connecting Kids to Nature at Carkeek Park to win $20,000. With that funding, Seattle Parks and Recreation helped restore a vital environmental education connection trail between the salmon-bearing creek in Carkeek Park and the Viewlands Elementary School that sits adjacent to the park.
This Earth Month, show how parks invigorate your community and vote to improve local parks right here in Seattle. Encourage your friends to vote too by taking a selfie in your favorite park and using the hashtags #MeetMeAtThePark, #Parkies and #CelebrateEarth.
For more information and to vote, visit NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark.
About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.