Arlington Needs Massive Community Effort to Win Park Grant
Grant money would be used to build playspace for disabled children
By FRANK HEINZ
Updated 7:08 PM CST, Tue, Nov 24, 2009
Arlington's Randol Mill Park is up for a free $10,000 playspace improvement grant from the NFL, and hope to use the grant to build a park for disabled children, but is getting blown out of the water in public voting by people in Brusly, La., and Ontonagon, Mich. This will not do.
Last September, more than 1,000 communities held Kaboom! Play Days at parks across the country. Baltimore Ravens full back Le'Ron McClain then picked his favorite five, but it's up to voters to determine the two best.
The top two sites will each receive a $10,000 playspace improvement grant from NFL Play 60, a program designed to encourage kids to get up to 60 minutes of activity outside each day.
"Part of what we want to do with this grant is to purchase some additional equipment that works for the blind also," says Kelly Drawdy, Parks and Recreation Department, City of Arlington.
"There's things like an abacus, a noisemaker, chimes and stuff so that any kid with any disability can find something they can get out there and play on," says Drawdy.
Every 24 hours, supporters can visit http://playday.kaboom.org/votes to cast their vote for the park they want to see receive the grant. On the list, Arlington is obscurely listed as Misenhimer Play Day & Ecofest and not something a little more intuitive.
So far, Arlington is solidly in third place with just over 10,000 votes. The first and second place parks have well over 40,000. So, Arlington needs your votes, and quick, to win the grant. The voting runs for just under two more weeks, until Dec. 1.
Your vote could help Arlington create a barrier-free playground for disabled children and their families. Go here to vote: http://playday.kaboom.org/votes. No registration is required and voting is quick and easy.
First Published: Nov 18, 2009 12:03 PM CST
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