American Water Charitable Foundation Awards $400,000 to Support Local Nature-Based Play Spaces
May 22 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
The American Water Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization created by American Water, the nation’s largest
publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, has provided
three grants to underwrite local nature-based play spaces across
American Water’s nationwide service areas. The grants are being
administered as part of the Foundation’s partnership with the
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), for the Building
Better Communities signature grant program. NRPA directly
administers the program, with funding made possible by the American
Water Charitable Foundation.
The Building Better Communities philanthropy initiative is
designed to enhance the quality of life in the communities the
company serves. The program is initially focusing on parks, as they
are critical to preserving natural resources that have real
economic benefits for communities. Specifically, the program
concentrates on building or enhancing nature-based playgrounds and
natural play spaces for children, and will connect and educate
people on environmental stewardship practices related to water.
Of the 117 applications received, a total of three projects from
within American Water's national service area were selected to
receive grants totaling $400,000. The projects were chosen based on
several criteria including play value, education value, proximity
to American Water’s service areas, relevance of the project to the
RFP project parameters, use of natural play materials,
opportunities for American Water employee volunteer involvement and
construction of an actual children's play area.
The grant recipients are as follows:
- Magic Island in Charleston,
W.Va. will receive $150,000 to construct a children’s spray and/or
splash pad utilizing a recirculating system. This project will
introduce an interactive water feature to a park that has its
genesis in the natural process of silt deposition at the confluence
of two rivers.
- Washington “Reed” Park in Gary,
Ind. will receive $125,000 to develop a nature-based playground
that integrates educational play about stormwater, as well as
functions as green infrastructure to slow and cleanse the water
returning to Lake Michigan, Grand Calumet and Little Calumet
Rivers.
- Von Neida Park in Camden, N.J.
will receive $125,000 to design and construct a natural playscape
in the park. The majority of the design will be allocated to
personalizing the play area to the community surrounding the park,
including developing signage and illustrations that address
flooding, stormwater management and stewardship.
“Creating an experience with nature and natural elements that is
both fun and educational is a recipe for creating a life-long
appreciation for the environment,” said Barbara Tulipane, president
and CEO of NRPA. “This is always a goal for community parks and
recreation, and for these three communities having the support of
the American Water Charitable Foundation to create new nature-based
experiences will elevate their ability to give more people the
chance to interact with nature in a unique and memorable way.”
“We are excited to give these three communities an opportunity
to foster a greater sense of appreciation for the environment in a
fun and engaging way,” said Debra Vernon, Manager, Corporate
Responsibility and President of the American Water Charitable
Foundation. “The projects will not only benefit the children and
families in these communities, but they will also encourage the
continued viability of and appreciation for our nation's water
resources. The Building Better Communities program supports
American Water’s core values of community stewardship and
environmental sustainability, and aligns with areas of importance
to the company’s employees, including child welfare and
education.”
Each nature-based play space will be developed via a community
partnership dedicated to ongoing stewardship. Annually, the program
aims to support several of these types of projects through grants
administered to local communities. In 2014, four grants were
awarded totaling $384,000. The recipients were The City of
Belleville, Ill., the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority in
Scranton, Pa., the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District in
Camarillo, Calif., and the Brunswick Redevelopment and
Revitalization Committee in Brunswick, Mo.
For more information about the Building Better Communities
program, visit www.nrpa.org/BuildingBetterCommunities.
About The National Recreation and Park Association
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 47,000 recreation and park
professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of
healthy and active 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 the American Water Charitable Foundation
Established in 2010 with a founding contribution from American
Water, the American Water Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3
nonprofit organization that provides a formal way to demonstrate
the company’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor, citizen,
and contributor to the communities where American Water and its
employees live, work and operate. The Foundation helps support
American Water employee-identified nonprofit endeavors. More
information can be found online at
amwater.com/corporate-responsibility or on Facebook.
About American Water
Founded in 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and
most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and
wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J.,
the company employs 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide
regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other
related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and
Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at
www.amwater.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150522005517/en/
Media Contacts:American WaterDenise Venuti Free,
856-309-4690denise.free@amwater.comorNational Recreation and
Park AssociationLauren Hoffmann,
703-858-2151lhoffmann@nrpa.org
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