Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy host 8th annual Growing the Neighborhood Volunteer Day

WHAT: 
City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy will celebrate the 8thAnnual Growing the Neighborhood (GTN) Volunteer Day and a brand new playground during an afternoon event and ribbon cutting ceremony in FDR Park. 

Mayor Nutter and representatives from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy, the ACE Group, NovaCare Rehabilitation, Sunoco Foundation and Friends of FDR Park will provide remarks. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy will announce $125,000 worth of capital improvement projects that will be made to FDR Park on behalf of the GTN initiative, and, provide a special announcement from the city. 

More than 150 corporate and community volunteers will be onsite for the playground dedication and Volunteer Day activities. In the morning, volunteers will gather in the 348-acre park for a cleanup. Volunteers will mulch new trees, cleanup trash and participate in a site-line vegetation cleanup around the lake. 

Dozens of children will also participate in cleanup and fun activities including fire truck tours, face painting, playground fun, fishing and environmental programs led by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

GTN is a program, founded by the ACE Group and NovaCare Rehabilitation in 2004, presented by the Fairmount Park Conservancy to bring corporate support to neighborhood parks throughout Philadelphia.

WHO:
City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter
Deputy Mayor Michael DiBeradinis, Environmental and Community Resources

Kathryn Ott Lovell, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy

 Steven Reiss, SVP & Regional Executive Officer, Mid-Atlantic Region ACE USA
 Dan Bradley, NovaCare Rehabilitation Division President
 Ruth Clauser, Sunoco Foundation President
 Greg Jacovini, President of Friends of FDR Park
 Nearly 150 of community and corporate volunteers including adults and children 

WHEN:
Saturday, September 10
Playground Dedication: 11 a.m.
Volunteer Day Hours: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

WHERE:
FDR Park
1500 Pattison Avenue
The speaking program will take place next to the new playground

DIRECTIONS:   Enter from Pattison Ave and follow the balloons

CONTACT:       Francesca Gunning                 Mark McDonald
LevLane Public Relations                  Mayor’s Press Secretary
215-825-8624                                      215-686-6210
fgunning@levlane.com                      press@phila.gov