Stay & Play Program Doubles In Attendance

TAMPA, FL – The two initiatives launched in 2015 designed to help keep children safe throughout the summer by extending hours of parks facilities and providing free recreation cards are growing in popularity according to data released by the City of Tampa.

From May 26 to Aug. 8, 32,117 children participated in Tampa’s Stay & Play program, which featured extended hours at 14 different city recreation facilities. According to the City of Tampa, this number is twice the number of children who participated in Stay & Play in 2016.

These numbers are in addition to the 2,731 children who attended Tampa’s traditional summer camps and the 4,562 who attended specialty camps. The Parks and Recreation Department provided a total of 1,277 children with scholarships totaling more than $50,000.

“There is no greater investment than in our youth and with the success of Stay & Play we’ve been not only able to keep kids of the streets but also able to provide programming that offers educational and recreational learning experiences that they wouldn’t necessarily otherwise receive,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “We look forward to continuing and expanding this program and hope to inspire similar programs in cities across the country.”

According to the City of Tampa, there were no incidents of violence at any of the nine participating facilities. City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Security and the Tampa Police Department worked together throughout the summer to keep participating youth safe.

“The original goal of Stay & Play was to help curb the rising tide of violence as summer started in 2015,” said Recreation Manager John Allen. “We gave kids a choice to be part of a safe, productive and fun environment, and it was an overwhelming success.”

With input from Stay & Play Program participants, Allen said the Parks and Recreation Department added activities including culinary arts, musical expression, dance, athletic leagues, field trips, additional pool openings, guest speakers and professional athlete participation. From a donation from the F.E. Lykes Foundations, Stay & Play was able to bring students to “Motown: The Musical.”

“With the advanced planning, healthy meals at no cost and marketing on social media, we were able to increase attendance by 50 percent,” Allen said. “Keeping Tampa’s teens active and safe is paramount for our community, and we look forward to the program’s ongoing success.”

Rec Cards, which are available free for teens, are good for one year and allow for access into facilities and programming, including free after-school programs during the school year. The City of Tampa reported 1,870 teens between the ages of 13 and 19 signed up for the free cards.

Building on its summer success, the following City of Tampa recreation facilities will be open later hours:

• Copeland Park Community Center, 11001 N. 15th St., (813) 975-2743
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 2200 N. Oregon Ave. (813) 259-1667
• Jackson Heights Community Center, 3310 E. Lake Ave., (813) 242-5346
• Springhill Community Center, 1000 E. Eskimo Ave., (813) 274-3314

The anticipated cost for the extension of school-year hours is approximately $100,000 according to the City of Tampa.

The free Rec Cards will also continue past the summer. Activities will continue in a semi-structured environment and vary by location, and will range from sporting activities like basketball to arts and guest speakers.

Image via City of Tampa Government Facebook Page