Greenville Named A Playful City, USA
The city of Greenville has been named a Playful City, USA by national non-profit organization KaBOOM! Greenville joins four other communities in North Carolina and 92 others across the nation in achieving the distinction.
KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives, gave the distinction for the City’s commitment to play and for taking innovative approaches to make play a priority for the health and well-being of kids and by creating initiatives designed to increase the quantity and quality of play and playgrounds, while improving access to existing play opportunities.
City Recreation and Parks Director Gary Fenton noted, “In a busy, work-oriented society, we tend to think that play must take a ‘back seat’ to serious accomplishment, and yet for youngsters, free play provides an opportunity for problem solving, creativity, socialization, and, of course, physical fitness. Every child deserves a convenient opportunity for free play.”
Greenville maintains more than 25 parks and recreational facilities for children of all ages and needs. The City and members of the community have recently created an inclusive playground and baseball field and raised money for a special needs gym to assure that opportunities for play are available to all children.
In giving the designation, KaBoom! also recognized that Greenville is incorporating healthy and active lifestyle decision making processes with the understanding that a productive, healthy, and physically fit child will likely grow into a socially competent and productive adult. Greenville is promoting the development of a greenway system that will provide connectivity to neighborhoods, playgrounds and playspaces and is partnering with the non-profit group, Friends of Greenville’s Greenways (FROGGS), to do so.
“Through the Playful City USA program, Greenville serves as a role model to other communities across the country,” said Mayor Pat Dunn. “Other cities and towns will examine our initiatives and look to replicate them in their communities. This recognition is a true honor, and all Greenville residents should take pride knowing that what we do right here is not only making a difference for our children, but likely will benefit children across the country.”
Even in tough economic times, Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder recognized, “Greenville took a stand and determined that the future of their community - their children - deserve a commitment to the cause of play. 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.”
You can learn more about the programs of the Greenville Recreation and Parks Department at www.GRPD.info or by calling 252.329.4567 weekdays.
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