Coca-Cola Issues an A.P.B. (All Play Bulletin) to Sandy Hook Families: Get Outdoors. Play in the Park. Vote for Your Favorite.

Coca-Cola Issues an A.P.B. (All Play Bulletin) to Sandy Hook Families: Get Outdoors. Play in the Park. Vote for Your Favorite.
Coca-Cola Awards $10,000 Recreation Grant to Sandy Hook – Gateway National Recreation Area
WNBA and Coca-Cola Host Clinic for Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore
New York, July 28, 2011– The sun is shining, the days are longer and the kids are out of school. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and play in your favorite park with family and friends. That’s why Coca-Cola has teamed up with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Gateway National Recreation Area to celebrate summer and encourage New Jersey families to go out and play as part of the second annual America Is Your Park campaign.
At a community event held yesterday, Coca-Cola awarded a $10,000 recreational grant to Sandy Hook – Gateway National Recreation Area to help support Sandy Hook’s 27th Annual All-Women Lifeguard Tournament and the Sandy Hook Unit. Specifically, this grant will be used towards the purchase of a row-away shell, or lifeguard boat. Coca-Cola Refreshments’ Dori Silverman; WNBA legend Kayte Christensen; New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism’s Phyllis Oppenheimer on behalf of New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno; and Gateway National Recreation Area’s Linda Canzanelli were on hand for the check presentation and to help New Jersey residents discover fun places in the park to get active.
“We are delighted to support ways for New Jersey families to be more active outdoors,” said Dori Silverman, Assistant Vice President, Coca-Cola Refreshments. “Coca-Cola is passionate about restoring, rebuilding and renovating our nation’s parks, and we’re proud to recognize Sandy Hook – Gateway National Recreation Area with an America Is Your Park grant to contribute to the enhancement of this beautiful, community park.”
Participants at yesterday’s event also enjoyed watching portions of the 27th annual Sandy Hook All-Women’s Lifeguard Tournament. This tournament, hosted by the National Park Service, showcased the high level of fitness and skill women bring as lifeguards.
“Visiting a national or state park continues to be the number one activity when visiting a destination. And, when visitors consider coming to New Jersey, visiting our beaches is a top activity,” said Phyllis Oppenheimer, New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism, who participated in the event on behalf of New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “I encourage everyone today – young, old, and in between – to go to www.LivePositively.com to vote for your favorite park.”
As part of Coca-Cola’s partnership with the WNBA, the event also featured a WNBA clinic for approximately 75 members of the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore. Led by Kayte Christensen, the children participated in fitness skills and drills that encouraged them to get outside and play this summer. Kayte Christensen was a fan favorite both on and off the court throughout her WNBA career and most recently played for the Chicago Sky.
In addition to yesterday’s announcement, Coca-Cola is calling on New Jersey residents to go to LivePositively.com to help their favorite park win the title of “America’s Favorite Park” and a $100,000 recreation grant made possible by Coca-Cola’s Live Positively initiative.
“Enjoying the wide-range of activities at a national park right in your backyard provides a simple way to incorporate physical activity in your daily life,” said Linda Canzanelli, Superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area. “We appreciate the positive impact Coca-Cola’s commitment to Sandy Hook will make to the residents of New Jersey and the visitors to the park. The America Is Your Park initiative reminds us all that having fun at parks can be an invaluable part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.”
Last year, thanks to more than 1.6 million votes cast by its supporters, Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely, Minnesota was named “America’s Favorite Park.” The park is using the recreation grant to build a new warming hut to ensure safety and comfort for winter sports enthusiasts all season long.
For more than 40 years, Coca-Cola has supported America’s parks through partnerships with individual parks and national park organizations. The Company has donated more than $14 million for restoration and renovation of our country’s parks, including the restoration of more than 260 miles of “Active Trails” for families to hike and explore, and the development of the first sustainable recycling program at The National Mall, a national park in the heart of Washington, D.C. Most recently, Coca-Cola donated $1 million to The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation’s Peopling of America® Center, a new initiative that will tell the story of the immigration experience in America.
About America Is Your Park
From June 29, 2011 to September 6, 2011, people can go to www.LivePositively.com to cast a vote for their favorite park. Individuals can vote in the following ways: click on their favorite park and vote, upload photos of themselves in their favorite park or “check in” from the park using Facebook Places. To learn more about Coca-Cola’s efforts in our nation’s parks, vote for your favorite park or to download helpful tools to motivate your community to vote, visit www.LivePositively.com.
The Coca Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About the WNBA
The WNBA – which features 12 teams and is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world – is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. Following a 2010 season that included a fourth consecutive year of attendance growth, surging WNBA Finals ratings, and strong increases in traffic to WNBA.com and WNBA Mobile sites, the league tipped off its historic 15th season on June 3.Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education. For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.
About Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore
The Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore serves more than 15,000 girls throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties between the ages of 5 and 17 with the help of 6,000 adult volunteers. This coming year marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting and a century of building women of courage, confidence and character. Through age-appropriate activities, girls learn essential life skills and values that help them develop into strong leaders. Girl Scout educational programs allow girls to discover who they are, connect with their communities and take action to make the world a better place. As the largest organization for girls in the world, Girl Scouts is the leading authority and advocate for girls. For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has helped girls develop the skills they need to meet the challenges of a constantly changing world. Now, more than ever, girls can benefit from the values and mission of Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore is the place girls want to be, not only because of the opportunities provided, but because every employee, volunteer and girl feels a passion to be there themselves. To learn more about Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore and the programs available to girls, visit www.girlscoutsjs.org.