CITIES MOBILIZE FOR KIDS TO PARKS DAY — Lake Charles, Louisiana Signs On for May 17 Nationwide Park Celebration

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Hundreds of thousands of children nationwide, including here in Lake Charles, LA, will take part in a grassroots movement to discover America’s parks through play on Saturday, May 17, to commemorate National Park Trust’s (NPT) fourth annual Kids to Parks Day.

Mayor Randy Roach recently proclaimed Kids to Parks Day in Lake Charles and encourages locals to participate by exploring Millennium Park and other public parks within the city.

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 Lake Charles, other cities across the nation are committing to a simple motto: “active kids are healthy kids” and encouraging their residents to use 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, including 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 Roach joins mayors across the country who have signed official proclamations declaring May, 17 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 17 to take the children and grandchildren in their lives to a neighborhood, state or national park.

The City of Lake Charles 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 17, 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.

Kids to Parks Day has been endorsed by America’s State Parks, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Hiking Society, Boy Scouts of America, Children & Nature Network, Children’s National Medical Center, Department of Interior’s Youth in the Great Outdoors, National Education Association, National Environmental Education Foundation, National Geographic Kids, National Parks Hospitality Association, National Recreation and Parks Association, National Wildlife Federation, NFL Players Association, Ready Set Wear It!, US Play Coalition, US Army Corps of Engineers, 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.

“Our parks and recreation areas, located in various neighborhoods throughout the city, give kids of all ages a place to enjoy the outdoors. I invite all Lake Charles residents to join me on May 17 for Kids to Parks Day,” said Mayor Roach.

A special commemorative Kids to Parks Day is being planned for Lake Charles at Millennium Park, Bord Du Lac Drive, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special activities will include: face painting, balloons, fun jumps, Gumbeaux Gator, aqua duck race, trike race, train rides, Hula Hoop contest, bowling, splash dance, egg walk, dance entertainment, and free snow cones, popcorn and cotton candy. Everyone is invited to this and all other City of Lake Charles parks and outdoor spaces.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

National Park Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow. As people spend more time indoors and as successive generations grow up with less of a connection to nature, NPT wants to build a greater awareness and appreciation for the importance of our country's public lands and parks. To learn more about our work visit, www.parktrust.org.

Visit the City of Lake Charles website www.cityoflakecharles.com at the home page under Hot Topics for more information.