Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 05/11/2000 - Joint with Planning Comm

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'~ °~K~_~ping Up May 2000 Page 7 How To Communicate The Benefits of Recreation By Jan Ficken, Assistant Director/Recreation Cily of Brooklyn Park Recreation and Parks Department \Vhat's all this hype about the "benefits" of parks and recreation? We already know hog' everyone benefits from recreation. But are we effectively communicating WHY parks and recreation is important in our written communications to our residents? Effective communications helps us build and maintain public support for a pro- recreation attitude when developing your city's public policy agenda. People love their parks and participating in commaunity recreation programs. They just have to be reminded of their value. The sentiment in a community can deteriorate if parks and recreation is not continually promoted. Residents can take their parks and recreation programs, facilities, and services for granted by assuming these valuable resources that contribute greatly to maintaining a healthy community, are immune from the political bargaining that goes on at City Hall during the "budget season". In today's world, everything's negotiable, unfortunately, even parks and recreation. We need to continually deliver the message on how a community benefits from parks and recreation. Recreation professionals need to re-think their writing styles to put more accent on the WHY a program or facility is important to the individual and/or community. Tell Them WHY... O Living near a park that provides open green space and accessible recreation opportunities increases their home property ValUeS. O Taking teenagers camping helps them develop an appreciation for the environment, increases the time they spend with caring adults, promotes group social skill development, and improves self- esteem. O Participating in a fitness program is fun because you socialize with others, feel better both physically and mentally, and helps one gain more control over their lives. O Hosting the Star of the North Summer Games in our town brings millions of tourism dollars into the local economy, builds community pride through volunteerism, and feelings ofcomraderie and teamwork as we all prepare for the event. By changing your style of communi- cation to focus on the WHY, you can create the urgency that parks and recreation is an essential service in your community. Every park and recreation professional needs to take the leadership in their community to communicate this message. We are so good at the What, When, Where and How Much...and assume the layperson knows the WHY. Next time you write a feature about your park facilities, include the WHY the facility is important in the first paragraph of the article. Put it out there in front so it is the first thing the reader sees. Don't hide it at the end as a flowery summary sentence. Re-write your program brochure descriptions from a "benefits-based" perspective, by telling WHY the program is important for the perspective customer and what they will gain from it. Too often we write in a 'descriptive' mode only. Here is an example: T'ai Chi Ch'uan Practiced in China for 250 years, this slow, relaxed series of exercises benefits all ages and aides stress reduction, tension and pain relief, increased energy and vitality ! Join this fun group for a free demonstration on April 1 from 1 -2 p.m. at the Senior Center. The National Recreation and Parks Association has a new resource book available titled "Setting a Course for Change", by Ellen O'Sullivan, Ph.D., CLP. This handbook offers practitioners advice on moving from benefits awareness to action-oriented imple- mentation in your agency. Seize every opportunity you can to highlight your organization through feature articles, press releases, city newsletters, cable TV;, posters, annual reports, weekly communications to the City Council, special events and business signs. Use photographs in your articles and columns. Offer to submit feature stories in other community organizations' newsletters or reports, being sure to include a PR statement on WHY parks and recreation is important to the community. Offer to speak at a school or business luncheon, the Chamber or Rotary, on the benefits of recreation. Call an Awards Committee represen- tative to offer your professional assistance to do City Council presentations in your neighboring communities who have won Awards of Excellence. This is a wonderful opportunity to do a PR plug for the benefits of recreation and promote cooper- ative relationships between neighboring cities showing a calculated effort towards working together to promote parks and recreation regionally. Plan now to include a full page promotion on the "Benefits of Recreation" information from the poster in your summer brochure. Calculate the value of parks and recreation in dollars and cents for the community - they may not realize what a tremendous bargain it is. Continue to tell your residents how healthy your community is due to the presence of an active and strong parks and recreation department. Collect quotes from your customers on what they have gained from their experiences in their programs and include them as sidebars in your brochures - add their picture to make them real to the reader. Ask incoming developers in your city WHY they chose build a corporate campus in your community. In Brooklyn Park, the Target-Dayton campus became a multi- million dollar development realty for the City due to te proximity of the land to parks, open space, and trail for their employees to enjoy. Be sure your City Council and Commission understand WHY the developer chose that site. We need to continue the campaign of promoting the benefits of parks and recre- ation. Plan NOW how your agency will continue its efforts to transform itself into as benefits-based organization for the new millennium! If you would like more infor- mation on the benefits movement, contact Jon Gurban, Executive Director, MRPA at 612-825-2200 X106.