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The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is pleased to announce the June lineup of Events on the Promenade at Depot Park, which is located at 200 SE Depot Ave., in Gainesville.

Score more fun and fitness with Pop Warner Football or Cheerleading! The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (PRCA) Department provides a great opportunity to be active and learn with Pop Warner sports.  We teach our youth that character counts through fairness, caring, citizenship, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness, with a focus on academic achievement.

With the summer heating up, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) has cool, free teen programs to keep the fun going all season long. Summer Heatwave is back with Coed Basketball, a Teen Lounge and Pool Parties!

Municipal Minutes is an electronic newsletter for the community. The monthly e-newsletter provides information about upcoming activities, projects and events in the City of Gainesville. For more information about this e-newsletter, please contact the Communications Office at 334-5017.

Young artists (age seven to 18) are invited to join a tradition of artistic excellence and showcase their talent as the 36th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show honors young and aspiring artists in the Young Artist section. Recognized as one of the top fine art shows in the country, the festival is sponsored by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department. On Saturday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Nov. 12, more than 240 local and national artists will display original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, captivating sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography in historic downtown Gainesville. Young Artist applications for the Downtown Festival & Art Show are available upon request at 352-393-8536 or online at www.gainesvilledowntownartfest.org/. The application deadline is July 1, 2017.

Fifty golfers teed off for a cause Friday, March 10 participating in the Gainesville Arts & Parks Foundation (GAP) 2nd Annual Charity Golf Scramble. The GAP Foundation announced that all of the proceeds from the 2nd Annual Charity Golf Scramble will go toward providing scholarships for the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Youth Summer Camp Program. Their generous support of the event will provide 100 youth summer camp scholarships for kids between six- and 13-years-old!

Municipal Minutes is an electronic newsletter for the community. The monthly e-newsletter provides information about upcoming activities, projects and events in the City of Gainesville. For more information about this e-newsletter, please contact the Communications Office at 334-5017.

Spring is the time of plans and projects. In an effort to continue beautification works in greater Gainesville, the Institute For Workforce Innovation’s Project YouthBuild Americorps (YouthBuild) continues their services with the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) Tuesday, March 28 at Gainesville’s Historic Evergreen Cemetery, which is located at 401 SE 21st Ave.

The YouthBuild students will bring their skills and efforts to the formidable task of removing more than 150 marked irrigation spigots throughout the cemetery. This intense project will require several days of service.

The City Of Gainesville is providing the necessary tools and training throughout the intense labor process. Project YouthBuild will cut metal spigot pipes at ground level and cap them to remove the unsightly trip hazards.

The volunteer project demonstrates the continued partnership between the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department; Jonathan Leslie, executive director for Institute For Workforce Innovation; and LaShundra Coley’Hale, interim volunteer coordinator for PRCA.

For information on volunteer services with PRCA, please contact LaShundra Coley’Hale at 352-393-8335 or coleyhaleld@cityofgainesville.org.

Keeping with the tradition of a little springtime tidying, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) continues a productive partnership with Institute For Workforce Innovation’s Project YouthBuild Americorps (PYB) YouthBuilders to help beautify existing facilities for the enjoyment of the community.

On Tuesday, March 7, a team of eight YouthBuilders helped at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Multipurpose (MLK) Center (1028 NE14th St.). The young men and women power-washed the sidewalks and parking lots; removed trash from the exterior of the MLK Center, pool and open fields; and cleared debris with backpack blowers to beautify the landscape, while others raked tirelessly. The group also made needed equipment repairs.

On Monday, March 13, La’Caryla Peoples and Deontea’ Hensley will travel to Washington D.C. to represent PYB and greater Gainesville in the National Conference of Young Leaders along with 100 youth from more than 30 states.

“The AmeriCorps-funded Conference of Young Leaders features workshops on public speaking, post-secondary education, handling change, and positive impacts on their community, among others,” says Peoples.

Images of the work at MLK can be viewed at https://flic.kr/s/aHskSgqXUJ.

In 2009, Institute For Workforce Innovation (IWI) launched Alachua YouthBuild AmeriCorps in Gainesville through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The project’s objective is to improve the lives of young people within the local community. PRCA is proud to foster this partnership with PYB to help share the talents of young citizens through exhibiting the impact YouthBuild has on each student and the community. The volunteer service project was coordinated by LaShundra Coley’Hale, interim volunteer program coordinator and Jonathan Leslie, executive director for IWI. 

Municipal Minutes is an electronic newsletter for the community. The monthly e-newsletter provides information about upcoming activities, projects and events in the City of Gainesville. For more information about this e-newsletter, please contact the Communications Office at 334-5017.