Official web site for City of Corpus Christi, Texas
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CORPUS CHRISTI NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A
“Playful City USA” Community |
The City of Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department has been notified that the City has been named a “Playful City USA” community by the KaBOOM! organization.
KaBOOM! is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing healthy play activities back into the lives of the nation’s children. As part of that effort, each year it recognizes cities that create and implement programs that help attain that goal.
This year, Corpus Christi has been selected as one of 93 Playful City USA communities that have demonstrated a creative commitment to foster play in the areas of quantity, quality and access.
In particular, KaBOOM! selected Corpus Christi for its “Get-up & Get Out” campaign, which encourages action to bring parks that are identified as “in need of repair” up to standard, by rating 50 play spaces. The result will be a list of playgrounds that will be prioritized in a way that will have the greatest positive impact on the community. Those with the worst conditions are targeted immediately for safety improvements, while others will receive enhancements during community work days. This enables the City and residents to work together to improve the selected parks.
“Corpus Christi took a stand and determined that the future of their community – and their children – deserve a commitment to the cause of play,” said Darrell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO. “This is an investment in the future, not an expenditure and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from these Playful City USA communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children,” Hammond, said.
KaBOOM! Is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Since 1995, the organization has worked to bring business and community interests together to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds. Skateparks, sports fields and other facilities cities across North America.
For more information, please contact Sally Gavlik, Director of Parks & Recreation at 361-826-3464.
For information about Kaboom's "Playful City USA" Community regognition program click here.
(Released on 7-15-09)
