South San Francisco, CA     April 1, 2018   Submitted by Veronica Ortiz, Office Specialist Parks and Recreation

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For the fourth year in a row, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company — including Disney|ABC Television Group and ESPN — to help fund local park improvement projects across the country through the national “Meet Me at the Park” Earth Month campaign. The city that receives the most nominations will receive a $20,000 grant to improve a local park.

Local parks make South San Francisco a better place to live and shape so many of our lives. Parks are essential to our City’s health and wellbeing. They provide safe places to be active and enjoy nature—and they help preserve the environment and bring people together. That’s why from April 1 to April 30, South San Francisco residents will have the opportunity to nominate our City to receive $20,000 in grant funding to make improvements at a local park.

By visiting NRPA.org/Disney, park supporters can nominate our City. At the end of April, the city with the most nominations will receive the grant funding. Everyone who nominates a city will be entered into a drawing for a GoPro Prize Pack.

According to Sharon Ranals, Director of Parks and Recreation, “South San Francisco conducted a very robust community engagement process in 2015 to inform the completion of a Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Master Plan, which can be downloaded from the City’s website at http://www.ssf.net/departments/parks-recreation/about-us/parks-and-recreation-master-plan,documents existing park resources, and provides recommendations for improvements. We are working diligently to accomplish needed upgrades, with the application for grant funding as one of the key strategies.”

“At NRPA we believe everyone deserves a great park. That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company on this campaign,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation. “Everyone is encouraged to join us in giving back to the places that shape so much of our lives by participating in this year’s campaign. A nomination for your favorite park is all it takes.”

During April, a public service announcement (PSA) supporting the Meet Me at the Park campaign will be shared with audiences across Disney, including ESPN, ABC Television Network, ABC-owned and affiliate stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, the ABC app and other digital platforms. The PSA will also be available to view on the voting site at www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark. Additionally, Radio Disney will support the campaign with an on-air radio spot.

This Earth Month, South San Francisco can show what parks mean to our community by nominating our great city. Encourage your friends to nominate our city by taking a selfie in your favorite park and using the hashtags #MeetMeAtThePark, #Parkies and #CelebrateEarth. For more information and to nominate South San Francisco, visit www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark.

The South San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department manages 264.9 total acres of parks and open space, in addition to five recreation buildings and an indoor swimming pool:

• 9 acres within 21 parks and playgrounds, including Orange Memorial Park and Centennial Way bicycle and pedestrian trail, as well as sections of the Bay Trail;
• 5 acres of open space at Sign Hill Park, Oyster Point Marina, and a Community Garden;
• 6 acres of athletic fields, partially shared with South San Francisco Unified School District;
• 2 acres of street medians, 3.6 acres of green spots;
• 2 acres of parking lots, and 10.9 acres of other city landscaping.

Both promotions begin at 12:00 a.m. ET on April 1, 2018 and conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 30, 2018. No Purchase Necessary to participate. The NRPA Meet Me at the Park Promotion and Voter’s Sweepstakes (collectively, “promotions”) are open to legal residents of the 50 US & DC, who are 18 years of age or older. For complete details and Official Rules for both promotions, visit www.meetmeatthepark.org.

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FAQ From NRPA website

1. What is the Meet Me at the Park Earth Month campaign? NRPA, in collaboration with Disney, ESPN and ABC, provides 15 designated cities and 1 nominated city each with a $20,000 grant to improve local parks through projects that connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living, and increase kids’ access to sports. The public will have a choice to vote for 1 of 3 projects in each of the 15 designated cities and be able to nominate a 16th city to receive a grant.
2. What are the 15 designated cities? The cities are as follows:Austin, TX
   Brevard County, FL
   Charlotte, NC
   Chicago, IL
   Durham, NC
   Fresno, CA
   Hartford, CT
   Houston, TX
   Los Angeles, CA
   Miami, FL
   New York, NY
   Orlando, FL
   Philadelphia, PA
   San Francisco, CA
   Seattle, WA
3. Who can vote and/or nominate? Everyone! However, you must be a legal resident of the U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 18 or older to participate.
4. Is there an incentive for voting and/or nominating? Yes. For each vote and/or nomination you cast, you will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win a GoPro HERO5 prize pack.
5. How will I know if I won the GoPro HERO5 prize pack? NRPA will use the email address provided at registration to contact the potential winner on or about May 15, 2018. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within 7 days, fails to provide any requested information (if applicable), or prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits the prize.
6. How do I nominate a city that is not one of the 15 designated cities? After you select a state, select the city that you want to nominate. You can return to the site once per day to nominate. At the end of the campaign, the city with the most nominations will receive a $20,000 grant. NRPA will contact the local park and recreation agency and they will be responsible for deciding which park within the city will receive the grant.
7. Can one of the 15 designated cities also be the nominated city? No, the designated cities are ineligible to also be the nominated city.
8. What are the requirements for being selected as the nominated city?The park and recreation agency that governs the nominated city must confirm participation and select one local park in that district to receive the $20,000 grant by May 23, 2018. The agency must use the grant for a park improvement or program that connects kids to nature, inspires healthy living and/or increases youth’s access to sports.
9. As a park and recreation agency, how can I promote this nomination opportunity to my community? You can raise awareness and support by sharing the initiative on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and through flyers in your local parks. Click here to get the toolkit.
10. When are the grant recipients contacted? NRPA will contact all recipients by May 15, 2018. Come back to the voting website on June 1st to see the announcement!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW – AND EVERYDAY!

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After clicking the link you will be asked for your email address. You then are directed to the following screen opens for you to complete ONE time and allows you to come back and vote EVERY DAY. If we can get a good % of our South City neighbors to do so, we stand a great chance of winning this $20K grant – Let’s do this! 

Log in every day and type in South San Francisco in the box, hit submit and VIOLA – you have voted and helped our community with the opportunity for park $$