Prineville playground project may get big Blazer ‘assist’
It’s the ultimate execution of teamwork on the basketball court – an unselfish assist that leads directly to a teammate’s ability to score. For the sixth consecutive year, the Portland Trail Blazers’ success at creating dozens of assists each game will fund a positive outcome for a deserving Oregon community thanks to a partnership investment with Moda Health.
The Moda Assist Program commits $20 per assist – double last season’s amount from the two partners – to install an all-abilities playground at the end of the season.
Trail Blazers All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard continues his role as the program’s ambassador, showcasing the team’s and Moda’s commitment to active, healthy lifestyles and the value of play for fans of all ages. Over the Trail Blazers first 48 games this season (** through January 21 ), Lillard and his teammates have accumulated 1,050 assists. Lillard currently leads the Trail Blazers with an average of 6.1 assists per game.
Interactive fan engagement will again drive the selection of the recipient community, with voting beginning on February 20 and concluding on March 20 exclusively online at trailblazers.com/assists.
Moda chose the Oregon communities and eligible parks that are finalists for the 2018-19 season from multiple nominations. Finalists, each with its own defined needs, are of comparable population size and economic base. Those communities are:
City: Prineville, Oregon
Park Name: Old Stryker Field
Prineville is a rural community in the heart of Central Oregon. Though the city has a beautiful parks system, many of its playgrounds are old and do not meet modern standards for safety and accessibility. There are currently plans to build a splash pad in Old Stryker Field close to the downtown area and the city hopes to build in the same area a large-scale playground that would be an exciting place for kids and adults alike to play, imagine and learn. Park designs incorporate outdoor musical equipment, structures that represent local history, a geological discovery area, features that represent Central Oregon nature and wildlife, exercise areas, covered seating areas and many other wonderful components. This project will serve the Prineville community well and enhance the physical and emotional well-being for people of all ages.
City: Baker City, Oregon
Park Name: Geiser Pollman Park
Baker City’s youth with disabilities are a severely underserved demographic.The existing playground equipment at city parks is largely inaccessible for children with disabilities, including playground surfacing materials. In the birth to age five population alone, Baker City has several children who have physical disabilities that prohibit their ability to utilize existing play equipment at city parks. Numerous children between the ages of three and five years old qualify for Special Education services, as well as children between the ages of birth and 36 months who qualify for Early Intervention. Parents of these children find it difficult to visit parks with both their typically developing children and those with disabilities because the equipment cannot accommodate all children. Those children with disabilities are sometimes left out of family outings and community events because they are unable to engage with their peers who are utilizing the play equipment. Some families of children with special needs choose to leave Baker City in search of a community that can provide this much needed resource, accessible play, for their child. Despite this area of deficit, Baker City as a community has rallied together to improve playground options in the past and has made upgrades to outdated equipment. The goal of creating accessible play space is the next step for the Baker City community and believe this need is real and will be recognized by the citizens of Baker City.
City: Independence, Oregon
Park Name: Sunset Meadows Park
Independence, with its deep pioneer roots, is a rural community in the heart of the Willamette Valley with 10,000 people and growing! The city has dedicated land for a park within the newest neighborhoods but needs help to develop it. Independence has been deemed the fourth-fastest growing city in Oregon and, according to new census data, the population has grown 16.7 percent since 2010. This is due in large part to the City’s investments in community engagement and economic revitalization. With this type of growth comes the need for more housing, more roads and more parks, as well as more programs and services. The City is expanding rapidly and has limited resources to keep up with the growth in ways that best serve the diverse population. Independence is also a very young community, with a median age of 28 years. A third of the population is under the age of 18 and most residential development is targeted towards young families. The southwest section of Independence is experiencing the heaviest growth with a brand new 60-lot subdivision and an additional 140 housing units under construction. The city allocated park land to accommodate these new neighborhoods. Sunset Meadows Park currently is a 1.4-acre piece of grassy land that needs a little push to reach its full potential. Within this specific community there is a large population of deaf residents. The developing deaf community has approached the City and expressed the benefit in having an all- access playground and park within the city. A community playground would give children a gathering place to socialize in a fun and safe environment.
Past recipients of the all-abilities playground equipment through the Moda Assist Program include Birnie Park (La Grande, OR), Culley Park (Portland), Fichtner Mainwaring Park (Medford, OR); Sunset Park (Hermiston, OR) and Baker Park (Redmond, OR). So far, the program has generated nearly $100,000 in funds from the Trail Blazers and Moda to support the initiative over its multi-year history.
