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Parks and Recreation Invites Youth to Learn, Play All Summer Long With Wide Variety of Low Cost, Enriching Programs

Temple Hills, MD (Vocus) May 19, 2009 -- With summer around the corner, Prince George's County young people and their families who are making plans for the break are invited to check out the wide variety of low cost, enriching youth programs offered by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Department of Parks and Recreation (http://www.pgparksandrec.com/parks_and_rec_home.htm).

"Providing youth with plenty of opportunities to be active and continue learning, growing and exploring while school's out is immensely important during the summertime," said Marissa Coleman, the Washington Mystics' newly drafted guard-forward who grew up in Prince George's County. "As a lifelong sports lover, that's something I know about personally. Kids and their families need access to low-cost recreational programs to fill time outside of the classroom with positive, fun activities that help to build lifelong, healthy habits. It's great to see that my home County's Department of Parks and Recreation is doing just that with all of its summer programs."

Annually, more than 35,000 youth participate in Department programs each summer, from day camps to seasonal employment to volunteer opportunities. This year, that number is expected grow upwards of an additional 25,000 youth served with the introduction of Safe Summer (http://www.pgsafesummer.com), a newly expanded, free late-night recreation program, to the Department's summer line-up. From June 22 to August 22, more than 25 community facilities will be open from 10 p.m. to midnight to provide teens and young adults with places where they can hang out with friends, explore new recreational pursuits, and learn about keeping themselves and their communities safe.

The Department introduced Safe Summer tonight at a media event highlighting all of its summer program offerings at Temple Hills Community Center. County notables, including Police Chief Roberto Hylton, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health and Human Services Howard Burnett, and former Parade All-American basketball standout from Bishop McNamara High School Kalika France, were in attendance to announce the expansion of the program.

Five M-NCPPC community centers hosted last year's pilot of the Safe Summer initiative, which was the brainchild of Prince George's County Councilmember Tony Knotts. Knotts' office worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation to launch the highly successful program in Councilmanic District 8, where more than 7,000 youth participated in Safe Summer in 2008.

"The Safe Summer program complements a wide range of quality, affordable programs and activities that M-NCPPC is committed to providing for thousands of Prince George's County families in these tight economic times," said Samuel J. Parker, Jr., M-NCPPC Chairman. "We invite the entire community to partner with us this summer to reach out to every young person in the County and help them experience the Safe Summer pledge, 'Change Starts with Me.'"

Contact:

Sara McElroy

Phone: 301-699-2530

Cell: 240-412-4166

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