A Weekly Note from Mayor Gary L. Graham
“Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking”
The National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA) and the City of O’Fallon has designated the month of July as Parks and Recreation Month. Parks and recreation agencies touch the lives of individuals, families, groups, and the entire community, positively impacting the community’s social, economic, health, and environmental quality.
Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month. Each July, NRPA encourages recreation facilities and parks across the country to kick-off summer programs, promote outdoor physical recreation, and pull together volunteers to make their outdoor space a thriving center of community activity.
This year’s theme is “Celebrate, Advocate, Recreate!” NRPA is encouraging members, agencies, and citizens to plan events and initiatives that remind local decision makers and the community of the exciting and vital role that parks and recreation play in the lives of Americans.
The summer season is a perfect time to enjoy warm weather activities at O’Fallon’s park facilities. Get outside, pack a picnic, play on a playground, compete in a sport and enjoy the sunshine! Spending the day at the park is not only great for your wallet; it’s great for your health too. Frequently going to a park and being active can reduce stress, improve cardiovascular health, help ward off obesity and decrease feelings of depression. Playing in parks also helps children build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, improve self-esteem, and avoid at-risk behavior such as drug use and gang involvement.
Our parks have wonderful amenities available and I encourage you to take advantage of all that our great parks offer. We have everything from walking/biking trails at Rock Springs Park, the Family Sports Park and St. Ellen Mine Park to swimming, tennis and baseball at Community Park. There is a little something for everyone to enjoy.
As part of this year’s celebration, the City of O’Fallon and the Village of Shiloh are planning activities to help keep the community active and involved. A “FREE” Swim for both O’Fallon and Shiloh residents will be held at Memorial Pool (located at Community Park, 401 E. Fifth Street) on Monday, July 19 from 6-9 p.m.
Round up your family and friends and join the fun at the Swim Party on July 19. The strong working relationship between City Hall and the residents we serve is yet another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
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