CONTACT:
LaToya Foster (EOM) – 202-727-5011; [email protected]
Gwendolyn Crump (DPR) – 202-288-6027, [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Friday, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Director Keith A. Anderson, District officials, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Executive Director Patricia H. Adkins, 93.9 WKYS radio personality Angie Ange, and guests kicked-off the District’s 2016 summer outdoor pool season at the DPR’s Oxon Run Pool in Ward 8.
“The outdoor pools opening not only kicks off summer, it’s also part of my Summer Strong DC initiative,” said Mayor Bowser. “We want every resident to have fit days, safe nights and strong communities.”
DPR’s outdoor pools and accompanying programs are an important part of Mayor Bowser’s FitDC initiative, which encourages residents to make healthy lifestyle choices. All outdoor aquatic facilities officially opened on Saturday, May 28. DPR counted 3,960 patrons who visited on opening day.
“We’re excited about the opening of the pools this past weekend. We also offer a variety of summer camps and programs that are fun and engaging.” said DPR’s Director Anderson. “We want to remind everyone of the importance of safety and following pool rules. DPR offers a number of Learn to Swim classes for people of all ages, if you don’t know how to swim.”
“At CPSC, we believe drowning is 100 percent preventable,” said CPSC Director Adkins. “It’s certainly challenging to always keep an eye on your kids, but constant supervision, along with four-sided fencing, knowing how to perform CPR, and teaching children how to swim are the keys to stopping child drownings.”
DC residents swim for free at DPR aquatics facilities.
DPR’s aquatic inventory includes 19 outdoor pools, 11 indoor pools, and 24 spray parks. For more information, on the entire summer outdoor pools schedule, please visit: Press Release: DPR Announces Expanded 2016 Summer Outdoor Pool Schedule
DPR announced plans to offer late night, community pool party events for the third year in a row. All events will take place from 7 pm to 11 pm at various locations across the District of Columbia. The locations and dates are as follows:
June 25 Banneker Pool - 2500 Georgia Ave., NW
July 16 Oxon Run Park - 501 Mississippi Ave., SE
August 6 Ft. Stanton Pool - 1812 Erie St., SE
August 20 Francis Pool - 2535 N St., NW
The DPR outdoor swim season is supported in part by the Potomac (VA) Chapter of the Links Inc.
About DPR
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) provides quality urban recreation and leisure services for residents and visitors to the District of Columbia. DPR supervises and maintains area parks, community facilities, swimming pools and spray parks, and neighborhood recreation centers. The agency also coordinates a wide variety of recreation and educational programs including sports leagues, youth development, therapeutic recreation, aquatic programming, outdoor adventure, camping, and senior citizen activities. Adaptive programs and facilities are available for persons with disabilities.