Polk Times

City Of Lakeland issued the following announcement on Jul 18.

Proclamation: Parks & Recreation Month

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation is an integral part of communities throughout this country, including the City of Lakeland, which helps to promote health and wellness, improving the physical and mental health of people who live near parks; and

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation promotes time spent in nature, which positively impacts mental health by increasing cognitive performance and well-being, and alleviating illnesses such as depression, attention deficit disorders, and Alzheimer’s; and

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation encourages physical activities by providing space for popular sports, hiking trails, swimming pools, and many other activities designed to promote active lifestyles; and

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation is a leading provider of healthy meals, nutritional services, education, and cultural arts programming and supporting activities, such as out-of-school time programming, youth sports, and environmental education, which are critical to childhood development; and

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation increases a community’s economic prosperity through increased property values, expansion of the local tax base, increased tourism, the attraction and retention of businesses, and crime reduction; and

WHEREAS, Parks & Recreation is fundamental to the environmental well-being of our community and is the essential and adaptable infrastructure that makes our communities resilient in the face of natural disasters and climate change; and

WHEREAS, our Parks and Natural Recreation Areas ensure maintaining the ecological beauty within our community and provide a place for children and adults to connect with nature and recreate outdoors; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives designated July as Parks & Recreation Month; and the City of Lakeland enthusiastically recognizes the benefits of Parks & Recreation resources.

Original source can be found here.