City named a “Playful City USA” by KaBOOM! for third consecutive year
“We are one of the few cities in America that has been designated a Playful City USA for the third straight year,” said Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Director Rick Herold. “This honor reconfirms Grand Prairie’s desire to create play opportunities for youth throughout our city.”
Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns determined to prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play. KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to saving play, recognized 118 cities across the country as Playful City USA communities, including Grand Prairie.
The city of Grand Prairie’s Parks and Recreation Department has made efforts to ensure that children in the community are active and healthy. They hosted Walk 2 Win 2010 for kids at Mike Lewis Park this summer to promote activity and help fight childhood obesity. The program allowed campers from around the Metroplex to come to the park for a 1-mile walk, rock climbing wall, miniature pony rides, and healthy snacks. The department also hosts a Kid Fishing Day each year, where kids can come to a catfish-stocked pond for fun and prizes.
KaBOOM! especially recognized Grand Prairie for its outstanding dedication to play through their commitment to children in leading a community-built playground project at Charley Taylor Park behind the Recreation Center. The project enlisted 9th grade students to participate in the planning and design and included more than 600 volunteers on build day.
The KaBOOM! organization makes children happier and healthier by inspiring communities to build great places to play in conjunction with the vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child. Playful City USA communities create best practices to reach a similar goal. They serve as role models for other communities and prove that enhancing children’s well-being by increasing the opportunity to play is an attainable goal for every community.
“An extreme misconception exists in our country that play among children is a luxury when, in fact, it’s an absolute necessity,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder. “For decades, this notion dominated our actions and we continue to see the damaging results: a monumental lack of play spaces for children and sky-rocketing childhood obesity rates. Grand Prairie refused to adhere to the status quo and realized all children deserve a municipal commitment to the cause of play. These 118 Playful City USA communities serve as beacons for the rest of our nation that an investment in children is an investment in our future.”
Source: City of Grand Prairie
