Swimming equipment, soccer goals and a skate park are among the new
equipment, facilities and improvements coming to parks and recreation centers across
Minneapolis, thanks to funding from the Hennepin Youth Sports Program (HYSP).
The Youth Sports grants were announced by Hennepin County’s Board of Commissioners
at their meeting last week, and were awarded to 22 cities, school districts, and parks
and recreation agencies throughout the county.
“Hennepin County has been a wonderful
partner in providing funding that reflects their commitment to serving youth,” said
Jayne Miller, superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
(MPRB). “These grants support the Park Board’s work in helping kids get active
and stay active — and helping them build healthy habits for a lifetime.”
Altogether the MPRB was awarded nearly $535,000 in Youth Sports grants
for facility projects and equipment across the park system. That includes
funding for projects to build or improve facilities at three parks:
-
Central
Gym Park: $250,000 for a skate park (part of a larger improvements project)
-
Folwell
Park: $100,000 for athletic field and tennis court improvements
-
Loring
Park and Minnehaha Creek Park: $150,000 for renovations to Loring Park tennis courts and the Morgan Avenue tennis courts at Minnehaha Creek Park
The MPRB also received funding for sports and sports-related equipment for another 15 parks and recreation centers:
-
Folwell
Recreation Center: $4,500 for soccer goals, bleachers and a set of volleyball net
standards
-
Bottineau
Recreation Center: $5,545 for basketball rims, soccer goals and a scoreboard
-
Lynnhurst
Recreation Center: $5,250 for four sets of soccer goals
-
Pearl,
McRae, Powderhorn and Bossen parks: $2,000 for a turf aerator shared among the
parks
-
Phillips
Community Center: $8,650 for swimming pool equipment for the Phillips Aquatics
Center, opening spring 2018
-
Keeywaydin,
Sibley, Lake Hiawatha, Longfellow, East Phillips, Pearl and Matthews parks:
$9,000 for six sets of replacement soccer
goals to use among the parks on an as-needed basis
About the Hennepin Youth Sports Program
Since it began in 2009, the Hennepin Youth Sports Program has awarded $21.7 million for 136 facility projects, 260 small equipment projects, 10 playground projects, and water safety lessons. The program is funded by the Twins ballpark sales tax, approved in 2006.
More about the Hennepin Youth Sports Program
Media Contact
Dawn Sommers
Director, Communications and Marketing
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
612-230-6407; dsommers@minneapolisparks.org
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