July is National Parks and Recreation Month!

Americans to Show and Share the Love for Local Parks and Recreation this July

Monthcelebration to highlight value of parks and recreation for local communities

ASHBURN, VA – June26, 2013– Why do you love your local parks and recreation?Can you answer the question? The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)believes the millions of people all across the country that access and use their local parks and recreation areas can and are seeking the most creative answers during national Park and Recreation Month this July.  This year’s Park and Recreation Month program of activities encourages communities everywhere to show and share the love for parks and recreation.

The 2013 theme of “I Love [heart] my Park and Recreation” encourages individuals, families, friends, and park-lovers everywhere to venture to their local parks and recreation areas to experience the many benefits they offer, such as programs to inspire healthy, active lifestyles and activities to appreciate nature and the environment. Paramount to this year’s theme is the fill-in-the-blank social media poster that people can use to say why they love their local parks and recreation.

“Local parks and recreation play a critical role in positively impacting communities in so many ways, especially in conservation, health and wellness and social equity,” says Barbara Tulipane, President and CEO of NRPA.  “Park and Recreation Month is not only a great time to experience all the wonderful aspects of parks and recreation but to also express and recognize why our local parks and recreation are so important in our lives.”

Nationwide, park and recreation agencies will celebrate Park and Recreation Month through a variety of fun initiatives, events, and activities.A list of participating park and recreation locations can be found at www.NRPA.org/july.

In addition to getting involved in Park and Recreation Month locally, people can also share the love for parks and recreation on a grander scale through the Show UR Love weekly photo contest. During each week of July, NRPA will have a different theme that people can follow to snap pictures in their local parks and recreation. Submit photos that show the love for local parks and recreation to NRPAthrough Facebookto be entered into the contest. NRPA will award weekly prizes and a grand prize at the end of the month.

To learn more about how to show the love during Park and Recreation Month and to get free, downloadable materials, visit www.NRPA.org/July-love.

Through efforts by NRPA, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an official resolution to create Park and Recreation Month in 2009.  The Association supports the park and recreation community and the general public by advocating for federal support for park and recreation programs and legislation.