Greenville Recognized as 2015 Playful City USA Community

GREENVILLE, SC – In celebration of what it has deemed “Playability Week,” KaBOOM! announced today that Greenville is among 241 cities and towns across the United States named as 2015 Playful City USA communities. This is the fifth year that Greenville has received this honor.

The KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, sponsored by the Humana Foundation, honors cities, towns and communities across America that are taking bold steps to ensure that all children have easy access to balanced and active play in their communities. Cities being recognized span every region of the country, and according to KaBOOM!, are leaders in playability – the extent to which a city makes it easy for kids to get balanced and active play – and are making play part of the solution that can move the needle on countless urban challenges.

“Playability is crucial to the success of our future communities, and we are proud of the work these cities and leaders are doing to provide a better quality of life for all residents, and especially families,” said KaBOOM! president James Siegal. “Play provides a competitive advantage for cities looking to attract and retain residents. With these esteemed leaders, and our friends and partners across the country, we continue to prioritize play for all kids.”

According to Dana Souza, the City’s Parks, Recreation & Sustainability Department director, the City values play and makes it a priority for those in the community through recreation programming and infrastructure improvements, and by partnering with non-profit organizations, schools, churches and neighborhood associations to address play-related needs in the city. Ongoing programs such as Playstreets and Mobi-Rec take play opportunities to areas of the city that may be in “play deserts,” and partnerships with organizations such as LiveWell Greenville, United Way of Greenville County and Greenville County Schools allow the City to reach more children who may have barriers to accessing play. Additionally, by providing new playgrounds, renovated athletic fields, basketball courts and infrastructure improvements, the City is creating an environment that will attract citizens and encourage them to get outside and spend more quality time playing.

“The City understands the value of keeping children active in the community, and strives to make play a priority through innovative programming, collaborative partnerships and play spaces for Greenville residents,” said Souza. “We are honored to have been selected as a Playful City USA community for the fifth time and are working diligently this year to continue to improve on our past success to ensure play opportunities are available throughout the city, and to increase the playability of the Greenville community.”

To see the full list of 2015 Playful City USA honorees, or for more information about the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.