Coca-Cola donating $10K to Engelwood Neighborhood Center as part of America Is Your Park

Tomorrow at 9:15 a.m., The Coca-Cola Company will present a $10,000 grant to the City of Orlando to spruce up the playground at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center. The presentation will take place at the ribbon-cutting for the renovated gym at the center.

WHAT:  Summer is officially here and what better way to enjoy extra hours of sun than a day at Engelwood Neighborhood Center and Park? Thanks to Coca-Cola, the recreation complex’s outdoor playground will soon be better than ever. As part of the America Is Your Park campaign, Coca-Cola will award a $10,000 recreation grant to repair playground equipment and landscaping.  The grant will be awarded during the City of Orlando’s ribbon-cutting event for the refurbished gym at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center gym on June 20.

WHY: Parks are the anchors of our communities. They provide places for friends and families to be active and enjoy the outdoors together. However, in recent years, funding for parks has fallen short of operating and maintenance costs – causing many to fall into disrepair or even close.  That’s why Coca-Cola is awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to help improve parks this summer.

People can visit LivePositively.com/parks to vote for their favorite park by July 15 to win the title of “America’s Favorite Park” and a $100,000 recreation grant.  In addition to voting online, park supporters can earn even more votes by “checking in” from their favorite park. Whether they’re at the park for a run, picnic or family vacation, park goers can pull out their smartphones, log onto foursquare and vote.

Other parks can also win. The second- and third-place parks will receive grants for $50,000 and $25,000, respectively. A $15,000 grant will be awarded, at random, to a lucky park that comes in 4th to 25th on the leader board by the end of the contest.

Just imagine the impact this grant will have on Orlando’s parks and the entire community. The City of Orlando encourages residents to vote for Lake Eola Park, the City’s signature park.