Latest news with #ColumbusRecreationandParksDepartment
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Columbus Recreation and Parks offers 'Go, Lunch!' summer program
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus Recreation and Parks Department kicked off its summer meal program to help children throughout the city get meals while on summer break. The goal of the 'Go, Lunch!' program is to continue offering free and nutritious meals to the children in the community. Wednesday's event was held at the Scioto Southland Community Center. How a small town was revamped into 'Ohio's most loveable downtown' Meals are available at community centers or other locations around Columbus for youth ages 18 and younger. 'We want to make sure that kids are enjoying what they're eating and that it's not just, 'Oh, this is just another something, right?'' Kyra Jones, administrative manager of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, said. Columbus Recreation and Parks said more than 245,000 meals were served in the Columbus area last summer. Organizers want parents to know these resources will be available again this year. 'We know that budgets are tight, right, so families are struggling to make sure they have all of their needs met,' Jones said. 'We want to help bridge that gap, so bring your child out for breakfast, bring them out for lunch, it's on us. It's free, no charge to the community, and all you have to do is call ahead to find out what times they are. We're here to support all of our families.' Stonewall Columbus Pride guide: What to know for this weekend's celebration During Wednesday's event, children enjoyed lawn games and a special appearance by Munch the Fox, mascot for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. 'It brings a smile to my heart,' Jones said. 'I hope that this program continues to flourish, I hope that we continue to grow. We would love to get even more communities. We're as far east as Reynoldsburg, we'd love to get in more north side communities to make sure that we are supporting the entire, not just Columbus community, but Franklin County.' Applications are now open for any nonprofit organization that would like to become a part of the summer lunch program. To apply, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
4 Columbus city pools set to open next weekend
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — With Memorial Day weekend a bit more than a week away, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) is completing the final tasks to be ready for pool season. 'We're excited to get everyone in the pools, we're excited to have the community have a place that's safe, that's fun and enjoyable. So we're just ready to welcome back the residents to our pools,' said Marissa Angellatta, Aquatics Administrative Manager with CRPD. The pools at the Driving Park Community Center, Glenwood Community Center, Dodge Community Center, and Driving Park Community Center are all scheduled to open Saturday, May 24. That could change depending on the weather. Other city pools will open later in the season. 'We are as ready as we're going to be at this point. We're really excited, the pools look really good,' Angellatta said. She also wanted to remind the community about a change at the pools this year. Cash will no longer be accepted for entry. 'This year we've decided to go cashless at all of our pools so residents will be able to pay with any sort of credit card of course, credit and debit card. And then all tap to pay digital wallet features are also accepted this year,' she said. Entries pre-loaded onto leisure cards will also work, according to Angellatta. When NBC4 stopped by the pool at the Driving Park Community Center, it was still being filled up. The department is also still looking to fill some lifeguard positions. 'We aim for about 200 lifeguards total for the summer, right now last time I checked we're in the 160s which is really good considering we have three or four more classes left for the year,' Angellatta said. ' We're looking really good with staff but definitely still opportunities for those folks who still want to become a lifeguard. We've got more classes. Our last class is not until the first week of June so there's plenty of time to get people in.' She also reminded community members glass is not allowed at pools. Broken glass forced some pools to temporarily close last summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
