When you think of Coca-Cola, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a red can. The second might be a polar bear. Luckily in this case, we’re talking about something related to Coca-Cola that is a little closer to my heart: NATURE!!! Nothing soothes my spirit like being outdoors, which is part of why I love running so very much.
As you might remember from my glowing endorsement of South Pointe Park, Coca-Cola is running its third annual America Is Your Park campaign, which will award one park in America a $100,000 grant and a couple of runner-up parks smaller but still generous rewards so they too can continue to grow and truly serve the community.
“Any park, big or small, can win! Last year, Oak Park in the small town of Minot, ND, captured the title of 'America’s Favorite Park' and the $100,000 recreation grant. The community united to vote for Oak Park, which was completely destroyed last year in a historic flood that damaged much of Minot. The grant helped with the park’s restoration, so families have a place to play together again.”
If your local green space is in need of some TLC, or if your favorite park could just use a few new features, then why not take a minute to VOTE and make a difference in your community. This one requires no money and very little time! However, the more passionate you are, the better. If you visit your park frequently, you can actually earn 100 votes for each check-in via Foursquare, so consider an outing with friends to make your votes really count.
Looking for even more ways to spread the word and ensure that your park wins? Check out the toolkit filled with tips, brochures, flyers, and ideas about how to promote your park via social media and more. We all deserve to have a place where we can unwind from the busy lives we lead. For me the parks in Miami provide just a small slice of sanctuary in a busy, noisy, fast-paced city. As a child they provided this huge world where I could imagine…I hope yours do that too!
Ok, enough philosophy. Have you voted yet?
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Only legal residents of the 50 U.S. (and D.C.) who are at least 13 years old and reside within the U.S. at the time of participation are eligible to vote for a Park. Participate on behalf of a Park by: July 15, 2012. The 3 most popular Parks will be offered a grant and there will be 1 Wild Card drawing at the end of the Contest to award an additional grant. To participate, for Official Rules, and complete details including grant descriptions, visit www.LivePositively.com/parks. Void where prohibited.
