Source: PlayCore
TPL Awards Bob Farnsworth with Top Honor at Annual Gala in NYC
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.– On October 19, PlayCore’s CEO Bob Farnsworth was honored with the Land For People award, the highest honor The Trust for Public Land (TPL) bestows on remarkable individuals who have provided an extraordinary commitment to the organization. The award was presented at a gala event in New York City.
“Bob’s relentless dedication to building best practice play and recreation spaces, his belief that all people have the right to play, and his commitment to give back to the Chattanooga community makes him an ideal recipient for the Land for People Award,” said Rick Wood, Tennessee Director for The Trust for Public Land.
TPL believes that every park, playground, and public space they help create is an open invitation for everyone to explore, wonder, discover, and play. That’s why partnering with PlayCore has been such a perfect fit. PlayCore is a leader in developing programs and education resources, and strives to enrich communities by advancing play through research, education, and partnerships.
Under Farnsworth’s guidance, PlayCore has grown to become not only the largest provider of play and recreation equipment in the US, but a trusted partner for communities to source scholarly research on play best practices, created through PlayCore’s extensive network of universities, scholars, and experts.
“PlayCore is committed to helping communities infuse play and recreation opportunities into the lives of people,” states Farnsworth. “Play is key to life, at all stages of life, and we help communities build meaningful play and recreation experiences through the combination of scholarly research, best practice programming, and innovative products.”
Most recently, the two organizations partnered to install six Fitness Zones® throughout the Chattanooga area. Each zone was intentionally placed in underserved communities where people often don’t have access to exercise equipment.
The Trust for Public Land used geographic information system (GIS) data to identify locations where these installations would serve the greatest need. PlayCore spent several months gathering research, observations, and data on the sites to help measure the effect over a period of time. Funding for the Fitness Zone® areas was provided by the Tennessee Health Foundation of Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Anne-Marie Spencer, Corporate Vice President of Marketing & Communications for PlayCore said, “In conversations with the local residents, so many have commented on the effects that the fitness zones have had on their lives and overall health. Being able to see these changes, hear these stories, meet these people, and know that we’ve made an impact here at home is the kind of thing that makes everyone at PlayCore excited. It’s what drives us. We are delighted to align with the Trust for Public Land in our shared mission, and to call them a partner in play and recreation.”
ABOUT PLAYCORE
PlayCore helps build stronger communities around the world by advancing play through research, programs, and partnerships. We infuse this learning into our complete family of brands. We combine best in class planning and education programs with the most comprehensive array of recreation products available to create solutions that match the unique needs of each community we serve. To learn more, log on to www.playcore.com.
ABOUT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. They work to ensure that everyone has access to nature within a 10-minute walk from home. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has helped generate more than $34 billion in state and local conservation funding, completed more than 5,000 conservation projects and protected more than 3 million acres nationwide. Learn more at www.tpl.org.
