Groundbreaking Ceremony to be held June
1st
On June 1st there will be an official groundbreaking for Peoria
GreenSplash, a new splash park and educational play area. The park
was made possible through a Building Better Communities grant from
the American Water Charitable Foundation and the National
Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The City of Peoria applied
for and received the grant in 2017.
The $150,000 grant will be used to build the splash park feature
within Harrison Park. The project is a collaboration between the
American Water Charitable Foundation, NRPA, the City of Peoria,
Illinois American Water and Peoria Housing Authority. The
groundbreaking will be held at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 1, at the
northwest corner of the intersection of S. Griswold Street and S.
Friedan Street in Peoria.
“Grant programs from organizations like the American Water
Charitable Foundation help us stretch our limited resources and
improve quality of life for our citizens,” said Scott Reeise,
Peoria Public Works Director. He continued, “We’re very grateful
for this opportunity, and we’re looking forward to seeing Peoria
residents of all ages play and learn at this new splash park.”
Community parks like Peoria GreenSplash are vital for connecting
children to nature. Nature-based play areas foster an appreciation
for environmental stewardship, while providing opportunities for
physical activity.
In Peoria, community members will benefit by playing in clean
water and learning about native plants, the natural water cycle,
and environmental stewardship. Peoria GreenSplash will have
educational signage on the benefits of native plants and clean
water. The new park is scheduled to open this summer.
Illinois American Water’s skilled union employees will
contribute to the project by installing water service for the
splash park.
Roger Goodson, Senior Manager of Field Operations and Production
for Illinois American Water’s Western Division said, “We are
blessed with the best of the best when it comes to skilled labor.
Our teams are committed to providing excellent water service and
contributing to the betterment of the communities where they work
and live. We believe every child deserves an opportunity to play
and have fun; this splash park helps fulfill that need.”
An opportunity for residents to contribute to the project will
also be offered. Peorians will be invited to help plant native
flowers at Peoria GreenSplash. This event is expected to be held in
July.
The Peoria Area Housing Authority (PHA) is another critical
partner for Peoria GreenSplash. The splash park will be constructed
on land contributed by PHA at their Harrison Home
Redevelopment.
James Fassino, Chair of the PHA Board of Commissioners, said,
“It is important that all residents of Peoria have access to
educational play areas. Not everyone can afford to travel or attend
facilities outside their neighborhood. We’re excited to provide a
space for not only our residents, but visitors from all across the
community, to enjoy and learn about water. The collaboration to
contribute to Peoria, particularly 61605 zip code, is
appreciated.”
The Building Better Communities grant program is administered by
the NRPA. The program focuses on building or enhancing nature-based
playgrounds and play spaces for children and will connect and
educate people on environmental stewardship practices related to
water and other natural resources.
“NRPA is proud to partner with the American Water Charitable
Foundation to help provide this unique play space to the residents
of Peoria,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation.
“This enhanced space will increase opportunities for physical
activity and connect children and families to the wonders of nature
through their local park.”
The Peoria project is one of 12 NRPA grants awarded to American
Water communities.
“We are excited to provide this opportunity for Peoria residents
to enjoy, learn about and appreciate the environment in a fun and
engaging way,” said Laura Martin, President of the American Water
Charitable Foundation. “Peoria GreenSplash will benefit the
children and families in this community while encouraging the
continued viability and protection of our nation's water
resources."
For information about the Building Better Communities program,
visit
https://amwater.com/corp/customers-and-communities/american-water-charitable-foundation/signature-program.
The American Water Charitable Foundation was 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 about the Foundation can be found at amwater.com.
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water
(NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the
state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater
services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also
operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control
and research laboratory in Belleville.
The National Recreation and Park Association is a
national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all
Americans have access to parks and recreation for health,
conservation and social equity. Through its network of nearly
60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, 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.
The Peoria Housing Authority (PHA) is committed to
providing, affordable housing opportunities for all of the citizens
living in an area generally known as “Central Illinois.” In
addition, through the development of strong partnerships with
current residents and appropriate community agencies, the PHA seeks
to develop new programs (housing, social and educational) to
enhance the quality of life for its resident, thereby offering
numerous opportunities for self-sufficiency. Currently the PHA
serves over 6,300 family members throughout our Public Housing and
Housing Choice Voucher Program. The PHA has begun to expand its
housing portfolio with modern mixed income developments and
continues to search for ways to expand affordable housing
throughout our service area. Learn more at
www.peoriahousing.org.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180531006149/en/
City of PeoriaStacy Peterson, 309-494-8560orIllinois American
WaterKaren Cotton, 309-566-4126
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