Today, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from 5:30 pm to 8 pm – DPR will host one if its premiere annual events, DPR’s City-Wide Open House.

DPR Customer Service: (202) 673-6747
DPR Media Contact: John Stokes, (202) 288-7275, [email protected]

(Washington, DC)  – Today, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from 5:30 pm to 8 pm – DPR will host one if its premiere annual events, DPR’s City-Wide Open House.  This annual fall event will showcase all sixty-eight (68) of DPR’s Recreation and Community Centers.  Site Managers and staff will suspend programming for one evening, as each center presents a wide array of activities, events and information that the center has to offer to the community and public at-large.  

"Part of DPR's mission is to enhance the quality of life and wellness of DC residents and visitors, as well as to provide quality urban recreation and leisure services," states DPR Director Jesús Aguirre.  "The annual Fall City-Wide Open House is a perfect opportunity to visit a recreation center, meet the staff and learn more about the great things that are happening at DPR."   Traditionally, the staff at each respective Recreation or Community Center is responsible for how their particular center "presents" at the DPR City-Wide Open House.  Attendees can look forward to an array of events, activities and information – created, executed and presented by that particular center.

Everyone is invited to come out and visit a Recreation Center - whether it is in your neighborhood, near your workplace or a center that hosts specific programming or events that you may be interested in. A majority of the Centers will conduct tours, interact with the community in a forum type setting, and conduct program demonstrations. Centers might also conduct forums regarding volunteer opportunities, talent "Sites Showcases", offer refreshments, activities, challenges and more. It is often said that "At DPR, we have something for everyone," and at the 2012 City-Wide Open House, Centers will showcase many of the activities and programs that DPR Centers have to offer.

Always a great event, a few of the activities and highlights that are in store for attendees at DPR's 2012 Annual City-Wide Open House are as follows:

• Palisades Recreation Center will highlight programs such as: Afternoon Access, Fit to Live, What’s Good in My Hood, Young Ladies on the Rise, the new Recreation Gardening Pilot Program and more.
• Benning Stoddert Recreation Center will present a "Talent Site Showcase" that will include dance, cheer and exercise organizations; conduct a site tour; host demonstrations and a patron/staff discussion; and more.
• Guy Mason Recreation Center will conduct a site tours; present showcases and demonstrations of the Site's programs; host an open discussion with patrons and more.
• Emery Recreation Center will discuss DPR's Core Values and the Move - Grow - Be Green with DPR initiative; host program information tables; offer site activities including bingo, card games and athletic practices; and more.
• Fort Davis Recreation Center will hold karate, youth & adult modeling, soccer and exercise program demonstrations; interactive activities such as arts & crafts, wii games, air hockey, foosball, and ping pong; offer door prizes and more.
• Friendship Recreation Center will conduct site tours, an arts & crafts and soccer clinic; host a community Q & A session; present a "Talent Site Showcase" and more.
• Rosedale Recreation Center will present an "Introduction to Programs" including a Senior Fitness demo, sewing & modeling presentations, and the Just Us
  G.U.R.L.S. mentoring program; door prizes; a site tour and much more.
• Columbia Heights Community Center will conduct site tours; present a fashion show, hand dance and line dance presentations; host program information tables and more.
• Ridge Road Recreation Center will present program demonstrations including youth football, cheerleading and pom-pon; offer door prizes, light refreshments and other give-aways; introduce the Site staff and more.

For more information about the DPR 2012 City-Wide Open House, please contact the respective Ward Offices or contact the Recreation Center directly:

Ward 1 - Ward Office: (202) 673-7612
- Banneker - 2500 Georgia Avenue, NW - (202) 673-6861
- Columbia Heights - 1480 Girard Street, NW - (202) 671-0373
- Harrison - 1330 V Street, NW - (202) 673-6865
- Kalorama - 1875 Columbia Road, NW - (202) 673-7606
- Marie Reed - 2200 Champlain Street, NW - (202) 673-7768
- Parkview - 693 Otis Place, NW - (202) 576-5750
- Rita Bright - 2500 – 14th Street, NW - (202) 645-7111

Ward 2 - Ward Office: (202) 673-7612
- Jelleff - 3265 S Street, NW - (202) 462-1317
- Kennedy - 1401 – 7th Street, NW - (202) 671-4794
- Mitchell Park - 1801 – 23rd Street, NW - (202) 673-6871
- Rose Park - 2609 Dumbarton Street, NW - (202) 316-4210
- Stead - 1625 P Street, NW - (202) 673-4465
- Volta Park - 1555 – 34th Street, NW - (202) 645-7111

Ward 3 - Ward Office: (202) 282-2201
- Chevy Chase CC - 5601 Connecticut Avenue, NW - (202) 282-2204
- Chevy Chase RC - 5500 – 41st Street, NW - (202) 282-2200
- Friendship - 4500 Van Ness Street, NW - (202) 282-2198
- Guy Mason - 3600 Calvert Street, NW - (202) 727-7736
- Hardy - 4500 Q Street, NW - (202) 282-2190
- Hearst - 3950 – 37th Street, NW - (202) 282-2207
- Macomb - 3409 Macomb Street, NW - (202) 282-2199
- Palisades - 5200 Sherrier Place, NW - (202) 282-2186
- Stoddert - 4001 Calvert Street, NW - (202) 299-3324

Ward 4 - Ward Office: (202) 541-1299
- Emery - 5801 Georgia Avenue, NW - (202) 576-3211
- Fort Stevens - 1327 Van Buren Street, NW - (202) 541-3754
- Hamilton - 1340 Hamilton Street, NW - (202) 576-6855
- Lafayette - 5900 – 33rd Street, NW - (202) 282-2206
- Lamond - 20 Tuckerman Street, NE - (202) 576-9541
- Petworth - 801 Taylor Street, NW - (202) 576-6850
- Riggs-LaSalle - 501 Riggs Road, NE - (202) 576-5224
- Takoma - 300 Van Buren Street, NW - (202) 576-7068
- Upshur - 4300 Arkansas Avenue, NW - (202) 576-6842

Ward 5 - Ward Office: (202) 673-9128
- Arboretum - 2412 Rand Place, NE - (202) 673-4507
- Brentwood - 2311 – 14th Street, NE - (202) 576-6667
- Edgewood - 3rd & Evarts Streets, NE - (202) 576-6410
- Harry Thomas, Sr. - 1743 Lincoln Road, NE - (202) 576-5642
- Joseph Cole - 1299 Neal Street, NE - (202) 442-9262
- Langdon Park - 2901 – 20th Street, NE - (202) 576-6595
- North Michigan Park - 1333 Emerson Street, NE - (202) 541-3522
- Theodore Hagans - 3201 Fort Lincoln Drive, NE - (202) 576-3017
- Thurgood Marshall (formerly Fort Lincoln) - 3100 Fort Lincoln Drive, NE - (202) 576-6818
- Trinidad - 1310 Childress Street, NE - (202) 727-1293
- Turkey Thicket - 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE - (202) 576-9238

Ward 6 - Ward Office: (202) 673-9128
- Joy Evans - 555 L Street, SE - (202) 207-5396
- King Greenleaf - 201 N Street, SW - (202) 645-7454
- Randall  - South Capitol & I Streets, SW - (202) 673-9128
- RH Terrell - 155 L Street, NW - (202) 939-5946
- Rosedale - 1701 Gales Street, NE - (202) 727-2591
- Sherwood - 640 – 10th Street, NE - (202) 698-3075
- Watkins - 420 – 12th Street, NE - (202) 724-4468

Ward 7 - Ward Office: (202) 645-9203
- Benning Park - Southern Avenue & Fables Street, SE - (202) 341-6765
- Benning Stoddert - 100 Stoddert Place, SE - (202) 698-1873
- Deanwood - 1350 – 49th Street, NE - (202) 671-3077
- Fort Davis - 1400 – 41st Street, SE - (202) 645-9212
- Hillcrest - 3100 Denver Street, SE - (202) 645-9200
- Kelly Miller - 4900 Brooks Street, SE - (202) 671-6126
- Kenilworth @ Kenilworth ES - 1300 – 44th Street, NE - (202) 535-2704
- Marvin Gaye - 6201 Banks Street, NE - (202) 727-5432
- Ridge Road - 800 Ridge Road, SE - (202) 645-0502
- Therapeutic - 3030 G Street, SE - (202) 698-1794

Ward 8 - Ward Office: (202) 645-9203
- Anacostia - 1800 Anacostia Drive, SE - (202) 698-2250
- Bald Eagle - 100 Joliet Street, SW - (202) 671-5123
- Barry Farm - 1230 Sumner Road, SE - (202) 730-0572
- Congress Heights - 611 Alabama Avenue, SE - (202) 645-3981
- Douglass - 2100 Stanton Terrace, SE - (202) 645-3980
- Ferebee Hope - 3999 – 8th Street, SE - (202) 645-3917
- SE Tennis & Learning Center - 701 Mississippi Avenue, SE - (202) 645-6242

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