FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 06/18/2015
Contact: Todd Cohen, o: 303.226.4530 c: 303-503-9068, tcohen@goco.org, or
Laura Cardon, 303-226-4531, lcardon@goco.org
Counties: Crowley, Denver, Garfield, Grand, Rio Blanco, Routt, Teller, and Weld.
GOCO invests $2.1 million to improve outdoor play opportunities for Colorado kids
Local government grants fund eight parks and outdoor recreation facilities across the state
DENVER — Rural and urban communities alike will benefit from the latest round of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grants, awarded Thursday by the GOCO board of trustees. $2.1 million in grants was approved by the board to eight communities spanning the state.
The approved grants will create new opportunities for outdoor recreation, improve access to neighborhood parks, and provide ADA-accessible playgrounds for families from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope.
Grant details are:
CROWLEY COUNTY: Town park and school playground upgrades will create community hub to get outside
The Town of Ordway and Crowley County School District will receive $288,651 to replace unsafe, aging playground equipment at the town park and elementary school. Upgrades will result in a multi-generational community hub for outdoor recreation, including a new turf field for unstructured outdoor play, playground and fitness-themed equipment, safety surfacing, and accessible walkways.
DENVER COUNTY: Paco Sanchez Park part of City’s vision to revitalize outdoor play in underserved neighborhoods
Paco Sanchez Park will serve Denver’s Villa Park, West Colfax, and Sun Valley neighborhoods, where over 70% of the population lives below the poverty line and parkland is scarce. $350,000 from GOCO will help the City of Denver transform the 30 acre park into a space where park users of all ages with the opportunity to get outside and enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle. Plans include a family play and gathering area, multi-use field, community plaza, and two loop trails.
GARFIELD COUNTY: Western-themed playground will make parks close to home for rural communities
GOCO awarded $193,540 to the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Park and Recreation District for upgrades to the community park. The 23,000 square foot playground will include old west facades and structures to pay homage to Parachute’s history as a ranching and mining town. The park will bring walkable, easily accessible outdoor recreation to the nearly 2,000 youth living in the Parachute/Battlement Mesa service area.
GRAND COUNTY: ADA-approved playground will be first of its kind in Grand County
The Fraser Valley Sports Complex will install new playground equipment that exceeds ADA guidelines in order to better serve its community. In addition to the 70,000 visitors the sports complex hosts each year, the National Sports Center for the Disabled will have access to the upgraded facility thanks to a $97,835 grant from GOCO.
RIO BLANCO COUNTY: Meeker student athletes will finally have a track to call their own
GOCO awarded $350,000 to the Eastern Rio Blanco Metro Recreation and Park District for an overhaul of the track at Meeker High School. Student athletes currently travel over 50 miles to the nearest rubberized track, and the school hasn’t been able to host a track meet since 2009. Funding from GOCO will enable Meeker to install an eight land synthetic track, complete with a curbing and drainage system and improvements to spectator areas.
ROUTT COUNTY: Popular Steamboat rodeo facility receives a much-needed facelift
The Town of Steamboat Springs will receive $150,000 to update multiple components of the Howelsen Hill Rodeo Facility. Key structural elements have reached the end of their useful life, and renovations are critical to ensuring the rodeo facility can continue to operate safely year-round. Not only does the facility host thousands of rodeo spectators and competitors each summer, it is a popular destination for Nordic skiers and fat tire cyclists each winter.
TELLER COUNTY: Town park to receive first upgrades in over 30 years
GOCO awarded $350,000 to the City of Woodland Park for improvements to Memorial Park, the City’s oldest and original park. The last updates to the park took place in 1984, and GOCO funding will help replace aging wooden playground equipment surrounded by pea gravel among other updates to park amenities. Plans include a new fishing pier, benches and other family gathering places, and upgrades to the walking path to improve connectivity in the park.
WELD COUNTY: New accessible playground to provide outdoor play opportunities for children of all abilities
The City of Greeley was awarded $327,450 for Aven’s Village at Island Grove, the complex that is also home to the county fair and Greeley Stampede. The new playground will serve the over half a million visitors Island Grove sees each year, in addition to the giving surrounding neighborhood accessible opportunity for outdoor play.
Twenty-two-year-old equipment will be replaced by a universally accessible playground. Design plans include signs with Braille and large print, a sensory garden and maze, a variety of textures and grades that are all wheelchair-accessible, and wheelchair transfer stations at every slide.
These grants support Governor John Hickenlooper's Colorado Beautiful initiative by identifying and filling critical gaps in connectivity for trails and open spaces, and GOCO’s new “Protect, Connect, Inspire” strategic plan, which focuses on land preservation, trails, and encouraging more youth to get outdoors.
GOCO is presently seeking applicants for its new Inspire Initiative, which offers between $1 million to $5 million in grants to selected communities to encourage kids to have more outdoor experiences. The program focuses on creating outdoor destinations like parks, improving access to outdoor location through new or improved trails, and expanding existing youth programs that introduce kids to the great outdoors. For more information on the initiative, visit goco.org/inspire.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a Constitutional Amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 4,500 projects in urban and rural areas in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support. Visit goco.org for more information.