Gwen Cherry Park Community Garden wins $20,000 Meet Me at the Park grant

MIAMI (May 18, 2017) — Source: Miami Dade County : Press Release

A new community garden project at Gwenn Cherry Park has been selected as the winner of the “Meet Me at the Park” campaign and will receive a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company, including Disney Citizenship, Disney/ABC Television Group and ESPN. Throughout April, voters took to social media to select one of three Miami-Dade parks.

The Gwen Cherry Park Community Garden project was one of 16 park improvement projects nationwide to receive grant funding. The $20,000 grant will support healthy living through an interactive education program on how nutritious food grows and will create access to healthy food choices in an area where neighbors cannot always afford fresh produce.

Meet Me at the Park helps to revitalize and restore local parks and park programs across the country. These park projects will connect kids to nature, inspire healthy living and provide access to sports. The campaign was promoted on social media, ABC Television Network, ABC-owned and affiliate stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, the ABC app and other digital platforms.

“Nearly 70,000 people participated in this year’s Meet Me at the Park campaign, a record number, demonstrating a tremendous amount of support and enthusiasm for local parks nationwide,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation. “Many children and families in need will benefit from this campaign, which was made possible by the generosity of The Walt Disney Company. We want to thank them for helping us give back to the communities our members so proudly support.”

“Many thanks to the NRPA and The Walt Disney Company for this generous grant award and the Miami-Dade residents who voted,” said George Navarrete, Miami-Dade Parks Director. “Projects like this community garden, exemplify our County’s Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan’s vision to make Miami-Dade a more sustainable and greener community.”

Last year the public voted to build a safety fence for Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services’ After-School Program at Ojus Park Community Center.  Through the $20,000 in funding, children with disabilities now have a safe, fenced in space to engage in sports.

For more information about the Meet Me at the Park campaign and the winning projects visit NRPA.org/BeInspired.

About the NRPA
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of more than 52,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.NRPA.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

About Miami-Dade Parks
Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 270 parks and 13,573 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world and focused on Placemaking, Health and Fitness and Conservation and Stewardship. The non-profit Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade supports Miami-Dade Parks’ efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors.