Press Releases: Colorado
June 10, 2011
Denver Parks and Recreation and Kaiser Permanente Partner to Offer FREE Summers for Teens
DENVER — Denver Mayor Guillermo (Bill) V. Vidal and Kaiser Permanente President Donna Lynne, DrPH announced today that the City and County of Denver and Kaiser Permanente will join forces once again and, this summer, offer Denver teenagers free access to City recreation centers and swimming pools.
Thanks to Kaiser Permanente’s generous donation, Denver teens, aged 13–17, will enjoy free memberships to recreation centers and pools from June 10 through August 14. This is the third year that Kaiser Permanente has supported a free summer recreation program. Standard fees will continue to apply for programs and activities that typically are offered at an additional charge.
“In times like these, it is critical that Denver provides safe environments for its teenagers to engage in healthy activities that support physical fitness,” said Mayor Vidal. “Kaiser Permanente is a valued partner who continues to be a leader in creating these opportunities and we are sincerely grateful to Kaiser Permanente for its generosity and partnership.”
“Staying active is key to being healthy and Denver’s recreation centers and pools offer tons of great opportunities for teens to get off the couch and get moving during summer break,” said Dr. Lynne. “This program demonstrates Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to making healthy choices the easy choices and we’re proud to support it.”
Denver’s recreation centers and pools have great benefits for teens, offering a safe place to gather during the summer months. In fact, the City of Denver reports a dramatic reduction in juvenile crime over the last few years when fees have been waived at recreation centers and pools. Juvenile suspects involved in person crimes decreased 65 percent and juvenile suspects involved in property crimes decreased 31 percent from the paid period to the free period.
“Denver Parks and Recreation is looking forward to this next phase in our partnership with Kaiser Permanente,” said Chantal Unfug, manager of Denver Parks and Recreation. “We are always searching for creative ways to engage teens in our centers. We are grateful to Kaiser Permanente for allowing us to do more of it.”
Area recreation centers offer a variety of summer activities, including open swim, basketball, game room and other special teen focused events. Programs available for a nominal fee include weight training programs, basketball, volleyball and swim lessons.
Youth 12 and under can purchase a three month membership for $10.50 or see if they qualify for the My Place program or scholarships. Denver residents may locate their nearest recreation center by visiting www.denvergov.org/recreation and clicking on “Find a Recreation Center”.
About Denver Parks and Recreation
Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities are unrivaled in the Rocky Mountain West. The DPR system spans over a 138-year history from the first park created in 1868 to nearly 15,000 acres of urban parks and mountain parkland today. It embraces nearly 3,000 acres of “traditional” parks and parkways, 2,500 urban natural acres and close to 8,000 acres of urban forest within the city alone. The system has evolved from the early years of jungle gyms and swings to 29 recreation centers and 17 outdoor pools offering high-quality programs. For more information, please visit www.denvergov.org/parksandrecreation.
About Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state’s largest nonprofit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Denver, Boulder, and southern Colorado area residents for 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to more than 533,000 members through 21 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The health plan was named “Highest in Member Satisfaction” among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates for the fourth straight year. Kaiser Permanente was also recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as the top-ranked private health plan in Colorado, No. 9 in the nation and one of the top 5 Medicare plans in the U.S. for the second year in a row. In 2010, Kaiser Permanente proudly directed more than $90 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/newscenter or follow us on twitter @kpcolorado or facebook.com/kpcolorado..