Camp Long Camp Out has been selected as a winner of the national Meet Me at the Park campaign and will receive a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company, including Disney|ABC Television Group and ESPN. Community members voted for the winning project throughout Earth Month in April.
Camp Long Camp Out was one of 15 park improvement projects selected to receive grant funding. The $20,000 grant will support Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Camp Long Camp Out program, which provides overnight camp out experiences to diverse low-income communities. As part of the program, children and caregivers are given the opportunity to walk trails, learn about nature, and enjoy camp fires. For many participants, this is their first experience camping overnight. The grant award will allow the program to be expanded to an additional community of mostly immigrant and refugee families.
“Our mission at Seattle Parks and Recreation is to support healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities,” said Christopher Williams, Interim Superintendent. “Camp Long Camp Out impacts all three of these areas by encouraging diverse families to engage with each other through nature exploration and other healthy outdoor activities at beautiful Camp Long”.
Meet Me at the Park helps to revitalize and restore local parks and park programs across the country. These park projects will connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living and provide access to sports.
For more information about this project and parks and recreation, visit seattle.gov/parks.
For more information about the winning Meet Me at the Park projects visit www.nrpa.org/disneymeetmeatthepark