The City of Platteville has been designated a Tree City USA for several years.
The city was a finalist in the 2013 All-America City Awards.
The city now has a new designation — a Playful City USA.
Platteville was one of 212 U.S. communities named a Playful City USA in an announcement by KaBoom! and the Humana Foundation.
Platteville was one of five Wisconsin cities honored, as were Belleville, Milton, River Falls and Strum.
“These communities 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,” a KaBoom! news release said.
“We are taking a number of steps now to improve both access to and the quality of play in the city of Platteville,” said Recreation Coordinator Luke Peters. “As one of only five Cities in Wisconsin to receive Playful City USA recognition, this is something that residents should be proud of.”
Platteville’s listing was based in part on new “playful” Recreation Department programming scheduled in 2014. Youth Camps will include Hogwarts Express, Junior Picassos’ Art School, Goin’ Green, Messy Fest, Mad Scientist, and Survivor: Outplay. Camps will feature a variety of supervised activities, games, and crafts for participants in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The City of Platteville is currently accepting registration for the upcoming programs. Registration is available online at www.platteville.org/recreation or at the Recreation Office in the Municipal Building, 75 N. Bonson St.
Platteville’s selection was also based on the establishment of the Platteville Parks Endowment Fund thought the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin. The endowment fund will provide a permanent source of funding to support city parks, trails, and recreational facilities and programming.
Money donated to the endowment fund will be invested for both income and growth. A portion of the earnings will be made available each year to maintain, improve, or expand the city’s park system. The principal along with any unspent earnings will remain in the endowment to provide lasting support.
The city is currently accepting one-time gifts to the Platteville Parks Endowment Fund. In addition to one-time gifts, reoccurring or planned gifts are also welcome.
The KaBoom! Playful City USA program, sponsored by the Humana Foundation, honors communities that are taking steps to ensure that all children, especially the 16 million American kids living in poverty, have easy access to balanced and active play in their communities. Cities being recognized span every region of the country, and include Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Nashville; Austin; Providence; San Francisco; New York City; and 205 others.
To advance the national dialogue on playability, KaBoom! and the City of Platteville are inviting interest, expertise, and voices from members of the Platteville community across the country to get involved in thinking about how play can create more family-friendly cities.
More information about Playful City USA is at www.playfulcityusa.org.
