19 Nov Gwen Cherry Park Foundation Wins Public Space Challenge
The Gwen Cherry Park Foundation is one of the winners of the Miami Foundation’s Public Space Challenge. Its winning idea is to provide shade covering for an outdoor fitness zone at Liberty City’s Gwen Cherry Park. The Miami Foundation announced the top winners at the Public Space Wrap Party on October 17, 2013.
In 2012, an Outdoor Fitness Zone was installed at Gwen Cherry Park with funds from the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the Trust for Public Lands. The Outdoor Fitness Zone consists of permanently placed outdoor exercise equipment that is accessible to everyone at the park. Installing the Outdoor Fitness Zone at Gwen Cherry Park was a part of a greater initiative to make exercise fun, convenient and affordable.
The Gwen Cherry Park Foundation submitted a Public Space Challenge idea to cover the Outdoor Fitness Zone. “The sun in South Florida is one of our great natural assets. However, because we are blessed with so much sun, the exercise equipment may be too hot to use,” said Gwen Cherry Park Board member Erica Wright. Seniors and parents agreed. http://ideas.ourmiami.org/place/49436 . Over 51 seniors, parents and community members logged onto the Miami Foundation Public Space Challenge website to support the idea of shade covering for the area. Sheila Mincey, a local resident said, ”The seniors at Gwen Cherry Park definitely believe a covering will allow more seniors to exercise outside and will help the community become healthier.”
Out of more than 250 ideas submitted from throughout Miami-Dade County, fifteen ideas were selected. The winning applicants will share $130,000 in funding. . The Public Space Challenge is part of the Miami Foundation’s ongoing Our Miami initiative, an effort to build a stronger sense of community and retain talented people in Miami by improving livability.
“We are delighted to receive this grant funding from the Miami Foundation to provide shade covering for our seniors and our youth,” said Gwen Cherry Park Board Member Erica Wright.
The Gwen Cherry Park Foundation, Inc. was established in 1997 as a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization to provide leadership in fundraising to support programming at the NFL YET Center. The Foundation works with its community partners to ensure that people in the neighborhood receive first class park programming and facilities. The Foundation is led by a Board of Directors that sets policy for raising and spending financial contributions to support the work on behalf of the community, particularly our youth, who are serviced by the NFL YET at Gwen Cherry Park. The ultimate goal of the Foundation is to build an endowment large enough to guarantee that there is a perpetual fund for the vital programs at the NFL YET Center.