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Parks Celebration Supports PFP,
Recognizes Greuel and Garcetti
More than 100 friends of People for Parks gathered recently at affordable housing developer Tom Safran’s beautiful Brentwood home for the 11th annual Parks Celebration. The October weather was balmy, the brunch was healthy, LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell jazz combo was cool, and the tributes for People for Parks were heartfelt.
City Councilman Tom LaBonge recognized two of the leading candidates for mayor in next year’s municipal elections for their service to public recreation. LaBonge presented Person of the Year awards to Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilman Eric Garcetti.
“It’s all about keeping space open and opening more space for the common good,” said Greuel, who has worked with People for Parks since she was Mayor Tom Bradley’s liaison to the city Parks Department.
“This is a special award for me,” Garcetti said. “I will keep pushing until every school becomes a park, and every open space becomes someplace green for the public to enjoy.”
Stephanie Taylor of Green L.A. updated participants on a possible ballot measure for parks next year. Taylor and Steve Soboroff of the Weingart Foundation have been working with political strategists at Cerrell Associates about placing a parcel tax to generate funds for public recreation before voters in municipal elections next March. Polling data about public support for such a measure is very positive.
Dr. Deborah Cohen, a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corporation, discussed her research into links between parks and healthy communities. Cohen closely monitored how people use 70 local parks, as well as 30 parks in other cities.
“Parks are preventive medicine,” she said. “Good health begins by going outside, sitting in the sun, and enjoying the day.”
Cohen found that more than half of all vigorous activity that people engage in is in a park, but that parks go unused unless they also offer recreational programs. “People need a reason to go to parks. There are so many interesting, sedentary activities competing with parks.”
People for Parks partnered with LAUSD to open our first two Community-School Parks this year. Fifth-grader Abisair Bautista described what a difference the new focus on health, nutrition and exercise at Trinity Street Elementary has meant to his family and neighbors, and Marine veteran Nick Pedreira talked about training for a green job with a future on Vine Street Elementary’s Green Team, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Participants gave the celebration a thumbs up and donated generously. You too can help support our programs to reach more youth and families in 2013. Please consider making a donation today – Using the Donate button on the right, or by sending a check to People for Parks, 1330 West 12th St., Suite A, Los Angeles 90015.
All contributions are tax deductible. Your donation will keep People for Parks at the cutting edge of the Thin Green Line, working hard until every kid in Los Angeles can walk to a safe park.
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