| EVERYONE
BENEFITS
Everyone in the world has somehow benefited by public
park and recreation programs at some time in their lives-directly
or indirectly. The time has come to make the connection
between past experiences and today's success, yesterday's
activities, and tomorrow's physical and mental wellness,
and today's taxpayer support and safe communities for
our children and grandchildren! So, whether an avid
participant or occasional observer, enjoy the benefits.
It's everyone's right.
BEYOND
FUN & GAMES
Often people need to be reminded of how vital parks
and recreation are to the quality of their lives. While
fun, happiness, and play are vital to growth and development,
the expanded role of public parks and recreation is
more critical than ever. Whether we know it or not,
programs, services, events, and opportunities offered
by local, state, and national park and recreation agencies
positively impact lives and society as a whole. National
and local research documents this.
FOUR MAJOR BENEFIT
AREAS
American and Canadian organizations have identified
four major benefit categories: Community, Individual,
Economy, and Environmental. Within each category are
specific benefits which are substantiated by facts,
field studies, testimonials, and research findings.
The following pages highlight some of the few ways that
Ohio's parks and recreation work for you, your neighbors,
your kids, and your communities.
ENVIRONMENT
- The Hamilton County Park
District protects approximately six million trees
within its 12,000+ acres. These trees have the ability
to absorb 240 million pounds of air pollutants each
growing season. The oxygen meets the daily needs of
over 75,000 people.
- Mill Creek Park Makes Region
Livable: "When asked my reasons for moving here,
and I reply Mill Creek Park for one, most people raise
their eyebrows in disbelief. As urban sprawl continues
to devour the remaining wooded areas in Boardman and
the surrounding communities, it is such a relief that
Mill Creek Park will be left intact for future generations.
Mankind's survival depends on a healthy environment,
and I'm proud to live in a community that recognizes
the necessity of preserving a piece of the natural
world." Linda Boardsman, The Vindicator, Youngstown,
Ohio.
- "The University/Parks
Trail in the Toledo area opened in 1995 and connects
the main campus of the University of Toledo with Wildwood
Preserve Metropark and on to King Road, a distance
of over six miles. Demand for the trail was so great
that thousands of people used it before it officially
opened to the public. The project is an important
urban to rural connector; offers a path for walking
and biking and can accommodate people with disabilities;
protects natural habitat as an uninterrupted wildlife
corridor; and economically impacts numerous bicycle
shops in and around the Toledo area." Jack Gallon,
Toledo attorney and Park Board Commissioner.
- Approximately 625 acres of
the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park
District's landholdings were farmed this year through
contracts with local farmers to prevent weed growth
on land awaiting restoration or development. Planned
crop rotation and other soil conservation practices
preserve the quality of the soil for the future.
- With volunteer assistance,
over 4,000 seedlings of native wetland plants were
transplanted into the Shake Trace Wetlands, part of
Hamilton County Park District. These rare plants will
add valuable wildlife food and cover at the wetland.
The Park District is also home to 44 species of rare
plants, twenty of those were re-established by the
Hamilton County Park District. To date, a total of
20 state endangered, 2 threatened, and 18 species
of special interests have been seen in the Park District.
- In response to a survey conducted
by Saperstein and Associates, respondents stated that
the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks should
give highest priority to developing parks along rivers
and streams throughout Franklin County. The next highest
priority is purchasing land before development occurs
and holding it until additional Metro Parks are needed.
INDIVIDUAL
- "You can learn more
about a man in one hour of play than a lifetime of
discussion." Plato
- "In Columbus at 6:10
a.m., twenty some early risers walking or jogging
with gusto around the warm brightly lit gym . . .
are not members of some private club. They are participants
in Pace Yourself for Life, a program for individuals
interested in staying active year round." The
Dividend, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
A study conducted by Brown University stated that
the nation could save $20 billion per year in the
United States if every sedentary American walked an
hour a day.
- "In the City of Swanton,
75% of the senior high school students stated in their
exit surveys that their 6th grade, week-long visit
to 4H Camp Palmer was the most memorable experience
in their school careers." Betty Jo Sadowsky,
Teacher at Crestwood Middle School.
- "The opening of the
Villa Angela addition in the Wildwood Park section
of Cleveland Lakefront State Park in August not only
enhances the service of public access to Lake Erie
for boaters, anglers, and swimmers, but also attracts
picnickers, joggers, and bicyclists and boosts tourism
in the Cleveland area." 1995 Annual Report, Ohio
State Parks.
- "Your 1994 summer camp
program was fantastic! My daughter Marissa had a most
rewarding, fun, and enjoyable time. She made lots
of new friends and learned valuable information and
exercises to help in her "dramatic career."
Letter from a mother to Mike Schertzinger, Director,
Davis Youth Program, Columbus Parks and Recreation.
- In a recent community survey
performed by Sapperstein Associates, nearly all of
the respondents (93%) believe that the Columbus and
Franklin County Metro Parks contribute to the quality
of life in central Ohio. Most (77%) also believe that
the Metro Parks contribute to their own quality of
life.
- A senior from Stow wrote
to the Parks and Recreation Department recently and
said, "Thank you for accepting me into the 'Stow
Sunshiners.' I've been down in the dumps for a while.
By being a member, my self-esteem has gone way up."
Ann Ceranic, Stow Resident.
- In Kettering, the 1996 Citizen
Leisure Survey found that 94.4% of the respondents
felt that parks provide safe areas for youth (ranked
#2).
- "Frank L. Smoll and
Ronald E. Smith, two pioneering University of Washington
sports psychologists who have studied youth sports
for 25 years. . . ." Smoll says, "Youth
sports are not viewed as a baby-sitting experience.
They are more than a recreational experience for children.
This is an important opportunity for children to learn
lifetime coping skills." USA Today, September
11, 1996.
- A comprehensive literature search
related to the potential of recreation in delinquency
intervention found that there were increases in self-esteem
and improved overall self-concept, and there were
decreases in the sense of hopelessness of at-risk
or delinquent youth (McKay, 1993).
ECONOMIC
- "For a relatively modest
investment in what we generally term preventive programs,
the return is extraordinary. A choice between prison
and preventive services is a false choice. Simply,
we do not have a choice." Pete Wilson, Governor
of California.
- "You can pay me now
or pay me later!" Tag line from a car repair
commercial that emphasizes prevention!
- "In Ohio, citizens paid approximately
$40 per person for parks and recreation services as
compared to almost $40,000 to jail one teenager. It
costs almost 100 times more for incarceration versus
recreation." Michelle Park, Ohio Parks &
Recreation Association.
- Nonusers tend to be highly involved
in extracurricular activities, spend more time with
their family and less time with peers/friends than
do drug abusers (Shilts, 1991).
- Park visitors spent over
ten million dollars at Hamilton County Parks in 1996.
Since they can offer local, high quality recreational
facilities, many citizens spent their leisure time
locally, saving themselves time and keeping their
recreational dollars, as well as tourist dollars,
at work in the local economy. Also, the Hamilton County
Park District conducted business with 2,169 different
vendors in 1996, adding to the economic stability
of the county.
- In Xenia, a major 300+ unit
bicycle-friendly housing development is under construction;
a new bicycle-friendly McDonald's is now open; and,
downtown Xenia is being revitalized resulting from
a new bikeway system.
- "In Miamisburg, the
proximity of a new golf course encouraged the growth
of upscale housing. Before the construction of a golf-course,
there were fewer upper-middle and upper-class housing
developments, whereas following the golf course $250,000
to $400,000 houses emerged in the surrounding neighborhoods.
This emergence of upscale housing contributed significantly
to tax and service revenues." Becky Benna, City
of Miamisburg.
- According to the National
Sporting Goods Association, Americans spent $3.25
billion on sports equipment in 1992.
COMMUNITY
- "We have an obligation
to try to do something to counter this social and
spiritual plague. Too many people have simply given
up." Arthur Ashe in Days of Grace.
- "Upon opening a community
center in a Cincinnati neighborhood, the overall crime
rate dropped 40%"-Myra Madison, North Fairmont
Community Center Director.
- In Kettering, the 1996 Citizen
Leisure Survey found that 95.8% of the respondents
felt that parks make their communities more attractive
places (ranked #1) and 89.3% stated that parks protect
open space from development (ranked #3).
- "On behalf of the Ohio
Hispanic Coalition I would like to express our sincerest
appreciation to the Columbus Recreation and Parks
Department for its first Festival Latino held on Friday,
June 21, 1996. Its success can be attributed to the
spirit of collaboration of those who worked hard to
see it happen, bringing together not only Latinos
from central Ohio, but a much larger and diverse population."
Julie Arbini Carbonell, Ohio Hispanic Coalition.
- "The City of Stow is
to be commended for its role in the creation of the
Stow Bikeway . . . a resource regularly used by many
residents. Stow is experiencing a dramatic growth
in bicycle use. One can cite several advantages to
encouraging bicycle use: it is a low impact, health
promoting activity; it gets people back to nature;
it is nonpolluting; it does not use scarce resources
(oil); it reduces traffic congestion; and it supports
two of the largest bike stores in the area, both of
which are in Stow." Tim Teyler, Stow Resident.
- The Cincinnati Recreation
Commission (CRC) realizes that the underlying causes
and risk factors of youth crime and violence cannot
be eliminated, but their impact can be reduced through
effective programs. In a 1996 master plan, commissioned
by CRC and conducted by Brandstetter/Carroll Incorporated,
respondents indicated that those aged 13 to 17 years
were the most important segment of the population
to serve. City residents felt that "CRC's primary
role should be in providing activities to help keep
teens out of trouble."
- "In a time when all
we hear about in the media is the drug use, gang violence,
and teenage pregnancy, it is refreshing to see this
age group do and be interested in giving enjoyment
to others." From a letter to Columbus Parks and
Recreation commending the members of their dramatic
group.
- "I want to say how much
I appreciate the Ford Nature Center being a resource
for all people, young and old, to help us learn about
the many interesting life forms and nature that surround
us in this community." Callum B. Johnston, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Youngstown
State University.
- "Your staff's participation
also reinforced to our students that members of our
professional community do care about where our children's
futures are heading." Officer John W. Angelo,
GREAT/DARE officer, Jackson Township Police Department
in a letter to Jackson Community Parks, Massillon,
Ohio.
- The Ohio State University's
Polymetrics Lab performed a random telephone survey
for Ohio State Parks and found that on the average,
current park users were middle income families with
three members, . . . and drove approximately 37 miles
to reach their most frequently visited state park.
. . 1995 Annual Report, Ohio State Parks.
- "The National Recreation
and Park Association released a nationwide study of
prevention programs, which offered compelling evidence
that recreation and training can contribute directly
to declines in crime and juvenile-arrest rates."
Time, November 14, 1994.
Information used for this web page was gathered from
the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Web Site.
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