DELRAY BEACH (May 17, 2017) - The City of Delray Beach is proud to announce that the national non-profit KaBOOM! is honoring the City with a 2017 Playful City USA designation for the second time. Playful City USA honors cities and towns across the country for putting the needs of families first so kids can learn, grow and develop important life skills. These communities are transforming ordinary places into playful spaces and using play as a solution to the challenges facing their residents.
The 2017 Playful City USA recognition includes 258 communities from across the nation that make it as easy as possible for kids to play. In total, these communities feature more than 14,000 safe and engaging playspaces that serve more than 4 million kids.
"The City of Delray Beach is proud to be recognized as a 2017 Playful City USA community," said City of Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein. "The City values the recreational and leisure pursuits of our residents and visitors and currently has 24 playgrounds located within our wonderful park system. In addition to our current play spaces, the City is working together with community partners to expand our play space inventory and will install a fitness park and new boundless playground before the end of the year. The City of Delray Beach is committed to providing quality places for our residents and visitors to "Get Out, Get Up, and Get Active" in our community."
As cities are becoming sources for innovation, communities across the country are creating inventive ways to attract and retain residents. Playful City USA honorees are taking bold action to ensure kids have great places to play - all with the ultimate goal of making play the easy choice for all kids, no matter where they live. In addition to the playground down the street, Playful City USA communities are turning grocery stores, vacant lots, crosswalks and sidewalks into opportunities for play.
"We are thrilled to recognize the City of Delray Beach for putting kids first," said KaBOOM! CEO James Siegal. "The well-being of our communities starts with the well-being of our kids, and play is critical for them to thrive. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all kids get the childhood they deserve filled with play."
To see the full list of Playful City USA communities and to learn more about making play the easy choice for kids, visit kaboom.org/playfulcityusa. You can also take part in the conversation with leaders across the country using #PLAYceforkids on Twitter and Facebook.