Coca-Cola Gives Metro Parks Tacoma $10,000 Grant in Fourth Annual America is Your Park Campaign

Grant to help the SERA Campus get community active outdoors as part of Coca-Cola’s overall commitment to help people rediscover the joy of being active

TACOMA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Surrounded by dozens of families, Metro Parks Commissioner Andrea Smith and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Coca-Cola Ambassador Anna Arodzero gave the park a boost with a $10,000 grant at a family fun field day today. The grant will help enhance construction of a new play and spray ground, to be constructed adjacent to STAR Center and the SERA Athletic Complex next year, www.metroparkstacoma.org/star/.

Coca-Cola Ambassador Anna Arodzero presents a $10,000 Grant to help fund a play and spray ground at STAR Center to Commissioner Andrea Smith, Mayor Marilyn Strickland, and Park Associate Tareena Joubert. (Photo: David Greer)

The field day, which was part of Coca-Cola’s fourth annual America Is Your Park campaign, featured fun activity stations for families, including games with red Coca-Cola soccer balls, a jump rope contest and a race through the Urban Adventures Course. Most important, participants were able to turn their activities during the field day into votes for STAR Center to win up to $100,000 from Coca-Cola.

“On behalf of Metro Parks and my fellow Board of Park Commissioners, we want to thank Coca-Cola for helping to fulfill Tacoma's vision for the new play and spray ground that we will be building here at the SERA Campus,” said Commissioner Smith. “It is our Mission at Metro Parks, and vital to our quality of life in Tacoma, to provide healthy opportunities that inspire kids to play, learn and grow.

“We appreciate your donation which supports our mission by enabling us to add exciting features to the new playground, which we would not otherwise have been able to include. We hope to see you next summer when we celebrate the opening of the play and spray ground.”

Mayor Strickland encouraged the crowd to have fun while getting healthy. “I would like to thank Coca-Cola for its generosity,” she said. “The Tacoma area and its residents will benefit from our new outdoor facility for many years to come thanks to the company’s charitable support of America’s parks.”

Coca-Cola has ties in Tacoma and Pierce County that go back 60 years, and currently employs 250 associates at the company's local distribution center. The Company’s portfolio features more than 650 brands, including Dasani, vitaminwater, Zico, Minute Maid, and Simply.

“Through America Is Your Park and all of Coca-Cola's summer programs, we want to show people how fun and rewarding it can be to get moving outdoors,” said Arodzero. “Whether it's buying new recreation equipment or enhancing activity areas, this grant will help improve STAR Center and provide more opportunity for people to be active.”

This year, the more people move, the more votes they can earn for their favorite park. By registering at Coke.com/Parks and linking foursquare and MapMyFitness accounts, individuals can “Take It To The Park” for even more opportunities to turn physical activity into votes:

1) Earn 10 votes each day by logging at least 20 minutes of physical activity using MapMyFitness

2) Earn five (5) votes per day by “checking in” at a park via foursquare

3) Earn one (1) vote by clicking online at www.Coke.com/Parks using a computer or smartphone

To encourage more activity outdoors, votes will be doubled on the last weekend of voting (July 13 and 14).

The three parks that receive the most votes by July 15, 2013 will be awarded recreation grants in the following amounts: First Place – $100,000; Second Place – $50,000; and Third Place – $25,000. In addition, a $15,000 grant will be awarded at random to another park that places in one of the remaining top 25 spots. These recreation grants are provided to help restore, rebuild or enhance activity areas in national, state or local parks where people can play and be active.

Spreading Activity Across America This Summer

There are many ways people can “Take It To The Park,” but it all starts with getting active. Recently, Coca-Cola announced a commitment to inspire as many as 3 million people to get their “fun on” this summer by making activities and sports gear available. Through the “Get The Ball Rolling” initiative, the Company will use its programs and events to make sure that people rediscover the joy and fun of being active this summer.

• To encourage people to get outside and enjoy active fun, Coca-Cola is giving away fitness activity trackers and up to 100,000 soccer balls at major events and online at www.MyCokeRewards.com all summer.
• Host a family picnic in the park with your favorite SUBWAY™ restaurant sandwiches and get a family game of soccer started. And then turn that activity into votes for your favorite park by “checking in” via foursquare or logging activity on MapMyFitness. In support of active, healthy living programs, SUBWAY is the exclusive America Is Your Park partner for the third year in a row.
• Around the country, the Coca-Cola Swelter Stopper will also be making stops to help people beat the heat and get active. The Swelter Stopper is an award-winning mobile activity unit that will cool things down at more than 100 events throughout the summer. Blasts of frosty air will provide refreshing relief from the summertime heat and a DJ will crank up the volume. Visitors can also enjoy interactive gaming, a video studio and photo station.
• Coca-Cola Happiness Trucks will also be rolling into town at a series of dancing and activity events across the country. The interactive vehicles will inspire people to get on their feet and move to the beat of some of the hottest music of the summer.

Coca-Cola Commitment to Physical Activity and Parks

The Coca-Cola Foundation will expand its Troops for Fitness program in key cities across the country throughout 2013. Launched last fall in Chicago, the program taps returning service veterans to teach military-style fitness classes and nutritional techniques to families in communities most in need of wellness services.

Coca-Cola has supported efforts to maintain and rebuild parks across the nation for more than 40 years. The Company has donated more than $14 million to date in recreation grants and partnerships to help keep families active in the great outdoors. Through America Is Your Park, Coca-Cola is continuing its partnership with the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks and the National Recreation and Park Association.

About 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, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 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. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

America Is Your Park Website: www.Coke.com/Parks

Campaign Hashtag: #TakeItToThePark

The Coca-Cola Company
Anna Arodzero, 503-467-1377
Public Affairs and Communications
aarodzero@coca-cola.com

Source: The Coca-Cola Company

Released June 24, 2013