City Calls for Help Maintaining Parks and Recreation with Community Sponsorship Initiative

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

James L. Combs Director

CITY OF SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA

915 I STREET , 5th Floor SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

916-808-5200 916-808-7643 FAX

City of Sacramento, Department of Parks and Recreation Community Sponsorship Initiative

Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities

Sacramento’s 200+ parks, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, and wide ranging programs help make Sacramento a more livable city for all. Now you can help support these important community programs and assets through sponsorships.

The Department of Parks and Recreation has developed a new program called the Community Sponsorship Initiative (CSI). The goal of the program is to recruit individuals, groups, and local businesses to support the City’s parks and recreation system by sponsoring essentials programs, services, and facilities, all of which serve the needs of children, youth, and older adults.

Sponsors can be recognized in a wide variety of ways, including recognition through acknowledgement letters and certificates, on special event literature and materials, on CSI’s website, and also given the opportunity to place commercial advertising in the Department’s Recreation Magazine or at specific specialized facilities.

Below are the programs, facilities, and initiatives currently in need of your sponsorship support:

Children and Youth

Jr. Kings Basketball Skills Program

The Jr. Kings program emphasizes fundamental basketball skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship and positive participation in a fun and rewarding youth basketball experience. The program provides an opportunity for young basketball players who are in grades 1 – 6 to create a bond with the game and at the same time learn what it takes to be successful away from the court.

A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities exist for the Jr. Kings Basketball Skills Program, including the sponsorship of equipment, uniforms, and entire teams.City-wide Summer Day Camps

Summer Day Camps offer Sacramento youth a safe, fun, and education-filled summertime experience. Supervised by well-trained, caring adults, children 6-12 years of age enjoy recreational activities, arts & crafts, games, sports, physical fitness, special events, and educational field trips.

Continued layoffs, furloughs and other bi-products of the economic recession are affecting families throughout Sacramento. To save money, some of these families have been forced to keep their children at home rather than enrolling them in fee-based summer programs.

Every adult knows that the most memorable part of summer was visiting community pools, making arts and crafts, and participating in summer day camps. You can make sure that a child in your community experiences what you experienced as a child by sponsoring one or more children’s participation in a Summer Day Camp program.

A sponsorship of $100 pays for one child’s participation in 8 weeks of summer day camp programming but sponsors are encouraged to offer whatever amount they can afford.

Stay Cool in a City Pool

Expenses that were once thought to have little affect on family budgets are now worrisome for families on already stretched budgets. This is the case with the $1.00 recreation swim admission fee at the City’s 12 public pools. By itself, a $1 admission fee may not seem like much, but multiplied over three months of blazing hot Sacramento summers, it’s easy to see how the fee can add up, particular for families with more than one child.

Stay Cool in a City Pool was created to ensure that the $1 recreation swim admission fee does not keep low income youth who are under the age of 18 from enjoying recreation swim at City pools.

Individuals, groups, and businesses are encouraged to sponsor youth pool admissions in increments of $30. A sponsorship of $30 will guarantee that 30 low-income youth get to do what every youth wants to do during the summer, Stay Cool in a City Pool!

Safe Places for Youth/Teen Centers

Teen centers are safe places where teens can enjoy themselves, learn important life- skills, and access academic support tools. Evelyn Moore Teen Center, located in Sacramento’s Land Park community, has been serving the teens of that community for more than 25 years. Now it is in dire need of renovations.

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The Department of Parks and Recreation seeks a sponsor to help renovate this essential teen center. The Evelyn Moore Teen Center sponsorship opportunity is one that is ideal for an individual, group, or businesses that wants to make an instant impact on the lives of area teens.

Older Adults:

Senior Technology Initiative

Many of us are now accustomed to using computer programs, getting news from the web, and accessing social networking sites to keep in touch with family and friends. Unfortunately, many older adults shy away from these technologies even though such technologies can enhance older adults’ quality of life.

The goal of the Senior Technology Initiative is to acquaint seniors with technology in meaningful ways. The initiative focuses particular attention on social media, web-based sources for information, computers programs, and new technologies.

The Department invites individuals, groups, or local businesses to sponsor the purchase of new technology and software or sponsor interactive workshops/trainings where older adults are introduced to new and innovative technologies.

Sports for Life: 50+ Soccer Tournament

The Department of Parks and Recreation’s 50+ Wellness Program Soccer Tournament brings together this region’s best male and female 50+ soccer athletes. The tournament never fails to excite, with players bending soccer balls like Beckham, executing scissor kick like Pelé, and breezing through defenders like Ronaldo.

This two-day tournament presents a great opportunity for any sponsor that is eager to showcase its products or services to older adult consumers and their families. Sponsorship packages can include on-site ads, ads within tournament brochures and flyers, special onsite promos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

Specialized Recreation Facilities

Sacramento Softball Complex

Support the City’s parks and recreation programs by advertising your service or product at the Sacramento Softball Complex!

Purchase any one of our affordable Softball Complex advertising packages and contribute to the upkeep of the Softball Complex and help support the continued availability of recreational programs across the city.

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• Each year approximately 400,000 people visit the softball complex. • The complex also plays host to national, regional, California Interscholastic

Federation (CIF), and North State tournaments.

With custom sponsorship packages starting at $500, any business can demonstrate its support for parks and recreation while exposing thousands of potential customers to its products or services.

Skate Parks

Sacramento’s 8 City-owned skate parks are the place to be for youth and adults who have a passion for skateboarding or rollerblading. Visit them at any time during their operating hours and you will quickly notice how popular they are.

Sponsoring a skate park is a great way to guarantee instant recognition of your service or products. Staff will work with sponsors to create custom packages that include a variety of on-site ads, special onsite promos and events, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

Dog Parks

Sacramento has thousands of dedicated dog lovers. The best place to find them, and their dogs, is at one of the City’s 9 dog parks. Sacramento’s dog parks are some of the best in the world. Most include dog friendly features like trees, dog drinking fountains, separate small and large dog sections, turf, open space, and much more.

Whether you provide pet supplies and products, or are a business looking to associate itself with something as positive as a family’s love for its dog, sponsorship of a dog park is a great opportunity for you. Staff will work with sponsors to create custom packages that include a variety of on-site ads, special onsite promos and events, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

Community Gardens

Sacramento’s 6 City-owned community gardens use sustainable practices to grow food that is both healthy and nutritious. They also serve as places where community members can share their common love of gardening and discover innovative methods and practices.

Sponsoring a City community garden is a great opportunity for any business that wants to market gardening-related products or any group interesting in promoting sustainable gardening practices. Whether you are interested in sponsoring a community garden or organizing one-time or ongoing marketing opportunities at our community gardens, staff are eager to create custom packages to meet your needs. These can include, but are not limited to, on-site ads, special onsite promos and events, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

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Special Events:

Jr. Olympics Competition

Youth from all corners of Sacramento and surrounding communities come together each year to compete in the Jr. Olympics Competition. Like true Olympians, these youth, who are 5-12 years of age, compete in the 40, 50, and 75-yard Dash, Heave Ho (Reverse Softball Throw), Javelin, Long Jump, Obstacle Course, and the 200 and 300- yard Relays.

This competition is a great opportunity for any sponsor to advertise its services or products to children, youth, and families. Staff will work with sponsors to create custom packages that include a variety of on-site ads, special onsite promos and events, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

Doggy Dip Day

On Doggy Dip Day, dogs are invited to swim in Pannell Meadowview Community Pool, a state-of-the-art, zero entry pool. This event only takes place once a year and is eagerly anticipated by dog lovers across the Sacramento region and beyond. Approximately 100 dogs and 500 dog lovers attend this event each year.

Sponsoring this event comes with opportunities for on-site promotions, ads in event handouts and flyers, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

City-wide Swim Championships

Each year the Department’s aquatic section hosts a city-wide Swim League Championship. During these championships, 400 children and youth compete in 65 individual and relay events. These competitions attract approximately 1,500 spectators, family members, and swim fans. The competition is recognized by Sacramento residents as being the area’s preeminent showcase for the next generation of competitive swimmers.

This competition is a great opportunity for any sponsor to advertise its business or products or services. Staff will work with sponsors to create custom packages that include a variety of on-site ads, special onsite promos, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

City of Sacramento Sports Stacking Tournament

Sport Stacking is one of the fastest growing recreational sports for youth. Sport stacking consists of contestants stacking and unstacking cups in predetermined sequences—the 3-3-3, 3-6-3, and “cycle”—with blazing speed. Each year the Department hosts the Department of Parks and Recreation Sport Stacking Tournament.

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The tournament features 5 – 12 year-olds with some of the fastest hands this side of the Mississippi!

This tournament is a great opportunity for any sponsor to advertise its business or products. Staff will work with sponsors to create custom packages that include a variety of on-site ads, special onsite promos and events, demos, and an ad on the website www.supportsacparksandrec.com.

Citywide Youth Turkey Ball

The Turkey Ball is a youth driven Thanksgiving dinner and dance. Each year youth host the event to raise much-needed funds for the Department’s afterschool and evening recreation programs for youth. Approximately 180 youth from 18 middle schools, high schools and community center sites attend the Turkey Ball.

The Department is looking for individuals, groups or businesses to sponsor this once-a- year ball and fundraiser. Staff will work with prospective sponsors to develop customized sponsorship packages.

Specialized Publications:

Department of Parks and Recreation Seasonal Recreation Magazine

The Department of Parks and Recreation’s Recreation Magazine is a 80+ page, full colored magazine that showcases the Department’s community centers, pools, special interest courses, recreation programs, activities, and much more.

The magazine is published three times a year, in the spring, fall, and summer. Each edition is mailed to approximately 8,000 residences, businesses, organizations, and schools. It is also placed in a large number of city facilities, including community centers, service centers, aquatic facilities, and can also be found on the Department’s website in PDF form.

Placing a commercial ad in the recreation magazine will get your product or service instant attention at a very reasonable price. Contact staff to obtain a rate sheet.

To learn more about any one of these sponsorship or advertising opportunities and the particular recognitions connected to each, please contact Hindolo Brima at (916) 808-5972 or hbrima@cityofsacramento.org.