Collaboration between the National Recreation & Park Association and The Walt Disney Company to improve parks in 16 communities

ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Orlando residents have until Monday, April 30, to support one of three projects that are eligible for $20,000 in grant funding as part of the national Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign. The park projects include:

1) Ivey Lane Park – Installation of outdoor fitness equipment, offering families that can’t afford gym memberships the ability to be active together outside in a community with few resources.
2) Engelwood Neighborhood Center – Installation of six basketball goals that adjust to any height (4-feet to 10-feet) to allow young children and those with disabilities to participate in basketball, along with older teens and adults.
3) Hankins Park – Planting of a fruit tree orchard to allow disadvantaged neighbors to access fresh produce and allow children in local recreation programs to discover the joy of working in nature and reaping the results.

Three projects in nearby Brevard County are also eligible for funding, including summer camps at Chain of Lakes, a Junior Naturalist program at Erna Nixon Park, and an interpretive pathway about early pioneer life at Sams House at Pine Island.

This is the fourth year NRPA and The Walt Disney Company have teamed up to celebrate Earth Month by helping to fund local park improvement projects in 16 U.S. cities. Additionally, NRPA and Disney will collaborate with recreation agencies in 50 states on a healthy living program that seeks to increase the amount of time children and families spend at parks by increasing access to play spaces.

During the month of April, the public will have the opportunity to vote for one of three projects in 15 select cities to receive $20,000 in grant funding. Voters can also nominate a city or town anywhere across the country to be entered for the chance to receive a $20,000 grant that will be used to support a local park within that community.

Started in 2014, the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign seeks to improve local parks through projects that connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living and provide access to sports. These projects include activities such as environmental education programming, improving trails and refurbishing playgrounds or soccer fields. In 2017, more than 300,000 people were impacted by the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign — including:

175,848 people with improved access to physical activity
161,449 people with improved access to nature
125,935 people with improved access to healthy food
32,926 people with improved access to sports

“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.”

Public voting for the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign will take place April 1–30, 2018. People can vote daily online at www.nrpa.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark. The park project with the most votes in each city at the end of the month will receive $20,000 in grant funding. Similarly, the wild card (or write-in) city with the most nominations at the end of the month will receive the same funding, as well.

The participating cities of the Earth Month campaign along with the selected projects from the healthy living initiative will be announced June 1, 2018, and will implement their park improvement plans this summer, with opportunities for volunteers to help bring park projects and programs to life. Everyone who votes will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one GoPro Prize Pack (No purchase necessary; must be 18+. For rules, visit www.nrpa.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark). Voters also are encouraged to celebrate earth at their favorite park and take a selfie using the hashtags #MeetMeAtThePark, #Parkies and #CelebrateEarth.

To learn more about Meet Me at the Park and the Earth Month campaign, visit www.nrpa.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark.

Caitlin Copple Masingill
Oliver Russell
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