Cities Mobilize For National Kids to Parks Day

City of Santa Fe and Boys and Girls Club of Santa Fe Signs On for May 18

Nationwide Park Celebration

Hundreds of thousands of children nationwide, including here in Santa Fe, New Mexico will take part in a grassroots movement to discover America’s parks through play on Saturday, May 18, to commemorate National Park Trust’s (NPT) third annual National Kids to Parks Day.

Mayor David Coss recently proclaimed National Kids to Parks day in Santa Fe and encourages locals to participate by exploring Frenchy’s Park, John Griego Park, Alto Park and the trails along the Santa Fe River.

“Santa Fe is committed to healthy living and our wonderful parks and recreation areas like Alto Park provide excellent spaces for outdoor play. I invite all Santa Fe residents to join me outdoors on May 18, for National Kids to Parks Day,” said Mayor David Coss.

At a time when an obesity epidemic touches nearly 1 in 3 children who are either overweight or obese, communities are witnessing sky-rocketing rates of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels in children. Like Santa Fe, other cities across the nation are committing to a simple motto: “active kids are healthy kids” and encouraging their residents to use National Kids to Parks Day as the first of many days spent outdoors, at local parks and recreation sites, to develop more active, healthy lifestyles.

NPT is working with numerous cities and towns included those affiliated with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Cities and Towns program, which is designed to encourage mayors and elected officials to adopt policies and programs that create systemic changes, reducing childhood obesity. Mayor David Coss joins mayors across the country, from El Paso, to Santa Fe, to Reading and to Orlando, Florida, who have signed official proclamations declaring May, 18^th National Kids to Parks Day in their city or town. This growing list of mayors has committed to urge their citizens to make time on May 18 to take the children and grandchildren in their lives to a neighborhood, state or national park.

The City of Santa Fe website now encourages residents to visit www.kidstoparks.org and sign up so that local families can be counted in the national tally. Then, on May 18, families are encouraged to visit a park or recreation area and submit photos of their adventures to Buddy@BuddyBison.org for possible inclusion in NPT’s national map commemorating the day.

National Kids to Parks Day has been endorsed by Department of Interior’s Youth in the Great Outdoors, America’s State Parks, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, Children’s National Medical Center, Boy Scouts of America, US Army Corps of Engineers, Children & Nature Network, National Environmental Education Foundation and officially in support of the First Lady’s Let Move Outside! initiative to get more youth and families to be active and live healthier.

A special commemorative National Kids to Parks Day is being planned for 9:00 a.m. at Frenchy’s Park, and all are invited to start their day of play there and adventure out to Veteran’s Park and then end at Alto Park throughout the day.