American Water Charitable Foundation and NRPA Awards $450,000 to Support Local Nature-Based Play Areas

VOORHEES, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The American
Water Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
created by American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water
and wastewater utility company, today announced it is awarding three
grants to support local nature-based play areas in Pennsylvania,
Illinois, and California.

“We are proud to help these communities create public projects that
provide environmental education opportunities in a fun and engaging
way,” said Laura Martin, president, American Water Charitable
Foundation. “The projects will not only benefit the children and
families in these communities, but they will also encourage greater
interaction with and appreciation for our nation’s water resources.”

The projects were chosen based on several criteria including water
components, play value, education value, proximity to American Water’s
service areas, relevance of the project to the RFP project parameters,
use of natural play materials, and opportunities for American Water
employee volunteer involvement.

The grant recipients include:

• Palmer Park in Coatesville, Pennsylvania is receiving a $150,000 grant
award to revitalize the well-loved neighborhood park, transforming it
into a source of community pride and a healthy, thriving place for
children, families, and adults to recreate. The space will include a
small splash park, a nature play area constructed of natural materials,
a constructed stream with a small bridge, native plantings, and green
stormwater features. The project will be a collaboration between the
Foundation, National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA),
Pennsylvania American Water, and the City of Coatesville.

• The City of Peoria, Illinois is receiving a $150,000 grant to build a
new public park near Harrison Primary School, called Peoria GreenSplash.
The new water play feature will drain into a bioswale, providing
children an opportunity to play in the water, while learning about the
benefits of native plants and the natural water cycle. The project will
be a collaboration between the Foundation, NRPA, Illinois American
Water, and the City of Peoria.

• Robert’s Lake in Seaside, California is receiving a $150,000 grant to
establish greater use and awareness of Robert’s Lake for water-based
ecology education for children, as well as offer nature-based recreation
opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. The new “Robert’s
Lake Eco-Recreation Station” will be designed with the purpose of
creating community, including an outdoor classroom structure and nature
inspired play equipment. The project will be a collaboration between the
Foundation, NRPA, California American Water, and the City of Seaside.

The grants are administered as part of the Foundation’s Building
Better Communities signature grant program, administered by the
National Recreation and Park Association. The program is designed to
enhance the quality of life in the communities the company serves. The
program is focused on parks, as they are critical to preserving natural
resources that have real economic benefits for communities.
Specifically, this initiative concentrates on building or enhancing
nature-based playgrounds and play spaces for children, and will connect
and educate people on environmental stewardship practices related to
water and other natural resources.

“NRPA is proud to partner with the American Water Charitable Foundation
to increase opportunities for children and families to experience nature
and the outdoors,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation.
“Ensuring people everywhere have the opportunity to engage in physical
activity and explore nature is essential to building healthier, stronger
communities and creating the next generation of environmental stewards.”

During the last three years, the Foundation has awarded nine NRPA grants
to American Water communities in California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and looks
forward to adding these three new projects to its Building Better
Communities initiative.

For more information about the Building Better Communities
program, visit www.nrpa.org/BuildingBetterCommunities.

About the American Water Charitable Foundation

Established in 2010 with a founding contribution from American Water,
the American Water Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization that provides a formal way to demonstrate the company’s
ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor, citizen, and contributor to
the communities where American Water and its employees live, work and
operate. The Foundation helps support American Water employee-identified
nonprofit endeavors. More information about the Foundation can be found
at amwater.com
or on Facebook.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and
most geographically diverse U.S. publicly-traded water and wastewater
utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated
professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water,
wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people
in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by
visiting www.amwater.com.

About The National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national
not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans
have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social
equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals
and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active
lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and
public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.
For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation,
visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

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Contacts

Media Contacts:
American Water
Joseph Szafran,
856-309-4690
[email protected]
or
National
Recreation and Park Association
Heather Williams, 703-858-4743
[email protected]