Mobile Recreation Program Brings Summer Fun

Oakland County, Mich., operates a mobile recreation program and grants that bring the park to the kids. Costs are offset by rentals, so 62 communities can take advantage of high-quality recreational experiences.

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In Oakland County, Mich., a Mobile Recreation Program brings the park to the kids--especially those in urban areas where there may not be a park, or have trouble getting transportation to the closest county park.

A fleet of fun movable units, including a climbing tower, inflatables like a dinosaur slide and a tropical maze, games and more bring the outdoor recreation experience virtually anywhere in the county’s 62 communities. The mobile recreation program participates in local festivals, concert series, libraries, schools, daycare centers and other gathering spots in cities, villages and townships.

To support summer outreach programs, the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission has provided $150,000 for 2016 Recreation Assistance Partnership Program (RAPP) grants.

RAPP’s mission is to create recreation opportunities and provides Oakland County communities, community parks, recreation departments, schools, downtown development authorities, non-profit organizations and underserved populations with opportunities to get out and play. In addition to the Mobile Recreation Program, RAPP also supports county adventure programs like GO! Cache, GO! Fish and GO! Golf Clinics, nature education and field trips.

Mobile recreation is added financial responsibility for a county parks system, according to the Oakland County Parks (OCP), but the mobile program’s rental units--a stage and bleachers, for example--nearly recovers the costs of the program.

Terry Fields, chief of recreation, programs and services for OCP can’t say enough about the great rewards of a program that delivers everyone high-quality park experiences. “Some children, for example, have never been fishing,” Fields told Parks & Recreation magazine. “Seeing the look on their faces as they experience this for the first time is priceless. Being a part of that is a privilege,” he said.

RAPP accepted grants for summer outreach programs in Oakland County through Aug. 19, 2017.

Learn more about mobile recreation at DestinationOakland.com.

Andrea Fox is Editor of Gov1.com and Senior Editor at Lexipol. She is based in Massachusetts.

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