3 minute read
Coming Together in Widefield
By Amber Rotramel and Nicole Reeves, Widefield Parks and Recreation
Widefield Parks and Recreation is nestled on the south side of Colorado Springs with sweeping
views of the Front Range. We serve an unincorporated community of approximately 45,000 people and are owned and operated by the local school district. The pandemic affected Widefield like many other Parks and Recreation departments with restrictions, regulations and a list of other unique hurdles. After returning back to our offices from remote working in mid-June, we knew the community needed something positive to look forward to. The idea was developed for an event that would provide opportunities for patrons of all ages to engage with one another and have some fun, all while maintaining social distance. We understood the pandemic brought many financial challenges for individuals in the community, therefore providing a free lunch was also high on the needs list. After weighing all the pros and cons, the decision was made to put on a Fall Fun Day Picnic the first Saturday in October. The day would be complete with many socially distanced activities including Bingo, water balloon games, circuit races and a chalk art competition, along with a free pre-packaged picnic lunch. One of our primary objectives for the event was ‘to have something for everyone’, which underscored department collaboration being a key factor to making this one-of-kind, community gathering successful. The Sports department worked together with the Arts & Cultural department to be creative on solutions for hosting a public event, while following the COVID-19 guidelines set by the local health department. The result would be a wonderful afternoon in the sun focused on friends, family, fun and community. To accommodate social distancing, the main event of ‘Bingo on the Field’ was developed. Each family was given a pack of bingo cards and asked to choose a spray-painted bingo spot (strategically placed 6ft apart) on the main baseball outfield. The adjacent baseball field was home to the circuit race and water balloon games. Water balloons were an easy solution to not have community members
physically touch the same objects to play games. The circuit race was also a big hit with tire hopscotch, limbo, body weight exercises and a balance beam. The last component of the afternoon was a chalk art challenge that enticed family members of all ages to be creative, and design a fall themed chalk art scene on the walkways between the two fields. With a generous sponsorship from the local School District 3 Federal Credit Union, all 240 attendees were also able to enjoy a free picnic lunch! After the event, Widefield Parks and Recreation received many positive remarks and appreciation posts on our
social media pages including; “What a great community to be a part of!” and “It was a blast. Thank you for putting it on!” Through collaboration, innovation and creativity Widefield Parks and Recreation was successfully able to bring everyone together, in more ways than one!
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