AGENDA ITEM REPORT
TITLE:
title
A PRESENTATION OF A $75,000 GRANT CHECK RECOGNIZING THE CITY OF COCONUT CREEK FOR ITS SELECTION AS A 2022 PERK YOUR PARK CONTEST WINNER FOR COCO POINT PARK BY NIAGARA BOTTLING, LLC.
body
BACKGROUND:
Since 2016, Niagara Bottling, LLC has partnered with the National Recreation and Parks Association to revitalize parks and outdoor community spaces across the United States through their charitable division, Niagara Cares, and the Perk Your Park Contest.
In May of 2022, the Parks and Recreation Department submitted an application to enter Coco Point Park in the Perk Your Park Contest for an opportunity to be awarded a $75,000 grant. The contest organizers notified us that Coconut Creek had been one of ten (10) cities in the country selected to compete in the contest. The top three (3) cities that could get the most votes would receive the grant.
The Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with the Community Relations Division, developed a marketing strategy that included the distribution of press releases, engaging social media posts, short-form videos, roadside banners, posters and park signage, e-newsletters, print flyers, and comprehensive information posted to the City’s website. The most creative tool that the City employed was the acquisition and distribution of a celebrity Cameo with Mark McGrath. The Cameo video was posted on the City’s website and social media accounts; it received several thousand views and was a significant catalyst for the City’s success in the contest.
The contest voting ran from August 1, 2022, through September 12, 2022; and thanks to the support and votes from the community, the City was notified in October that Coco Point Park won the Perk Your Park grant. This grant will fund park improvements, including butterfly pollinators/gardens, nature education QR codes, concrete game tables, seating, native animal accents, and art that advances connection to nature and sustainability.