The Burlington Recreation & Parks Department recently received a grant to transform a public area into an imaginative space for families to play and be active outdoors. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association (NCRPA) are supporting healthier communities by installing PlayPrints across the state.
PlayPrints are ground markings, or colorful shapes and games that are painted on existing pavement. The bright colors and interactive designs are meant to encourage visitors to take part in more physical activity. Community agencies across North Carolina were invited to apply.
“Receiving a PlayPrints grant at the upcoming Burlington Splash Park playground area is a helpful step as we continue to grow healthy and active opportunities in our community, said Lisa Wolff, Superintendent of Recreation Programming. Park visitors will have new creative ways to engage with our public space and have fun participating in physical activity outdoors.”
Impact Alamance an organization located in Alamance County that seeks to bring the community together for healthy change partnered with the City of Burlington Recreation & Parks Department to construct the City’s first splash park which is currently under construction at City Park. It is the goal of Impact Alamance to create a healthier and smarter community that will lead to a more prosperous future for all.
In conjunction with Impact’s donation the Burlington Kiwanis Club is making a contribution toward a playground that will be built adjacent to the splash park. “This being said, the PlayPrints opportunity presents a perfect blend of the initiatives set forth by both Impact Alamance and our department to continuously create active environments for children and their families,” Lisa stated. The PlayPrint markings will be implemented as an active connectivity piece for children to utilize while walking from both the playground and splash park.
During the summer, over 1000 youth and summer campers play in the park. Adding PlayPrints will offer another feature for visitors of all ages to use in a variety of physical activities.
“We want to promote healthy habits at an early age and make it fun for North Carolinians to get outside and get active with their families,” said Kathy Higgins, vice president of corporate affairs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. “PlayPrints are a simple way to take existing outdoor spaces in our communities and transform them into a center for healthy activity and imaginative play.”
Over the next two years, PlayPrints will be popping up at open play spaces as part of BCBSNC’s Get Outside North Carolina! (GO NC!) program. Go NC! builds healthy and active lifestyles through the advancement of greenway systems, increased access to public bicycles and the overall promotion of outdoor physical activity.
“Providing fun and creative avenues to engage our communities by adding PlayPrints to our parks and greenways is an exciting way to encourage citizens of all ages to have a little fun while increasing physical activity,” said Michelle Wells, executive director at NCRPA.
For a complete list of PlayPrints recipients and to follow progress as PlayPrints are installed throughout the state visit www.NCRPA.net/PlayPrints or follow @NCRPA @BCBSNC or #PlayPrints on Twitter and Facebook.