Mayor Vincent C. Gray was joined by city officials, residents and youth at the Barry Farm Recreation Center Pool to begin the summer season in the District of Columbia.

EOM Contact: Linda Wharton Boyd (EOM) (202) 727-5011
DPR Contact: John Stokes, (202) 288-7275
DOH Contact: Mahlori Isaacs (DOH) (202) 442-9211

WASHINGTON, DC – Today Mayor Vincent C. Gray was joined by city officials, residents and youth at the Barry Farm Recreation Center Pool to begin the summer season in the District of Columbia with the announcement of a new, expanded DC Summer Fun initiative.

This comprehensive summer program will provide, children, youth, adults and seniors with safe, healthy, productive and fun activities. The DC Summer Fun program started with the opening of all the DC Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) outdoor pools, children’s pools and spray parks.

“Unlike previous summer seasons, this year we will launch a comprehensive safe-community initiative that involves an integrated approach to the summer, with more than 20 District agencies and numerous community-based and faith-based organizations coming together to offer expanded programming,” said Mayor Gray. “Today is just a taste of what this summer season in DC has to offer. The message is clear: I want D.C. residents to have an opportunity to read, play, learn, work, volunteer, be healthy, be creative, have fun and, most of all, be safe this summer.”

At the event, the DC Department of Health (DOH) also launched its latest campaign, Keep it Moving DC!, to encourage residents to take advantage of the many resources the District’s parks and recreation facilities offer for engaging in fun physical activities, including swimming. Keep it Moving DC! is part of the broader Live Well DC! campaign to create a culture of safety and health. As part of the program, Mayor Gray was joined by 11 DC residents as Live Well DC! Community Coaches. The residents, representing all wards, various ages, and different levels of fitness, are serving as leaders and motivators for the rest of the city as they share their journeys to keep moving.

Keep it Moving DC! is part of DOH’s work to address the high rates of overweight and obesity among District residents -- often caused by poor diet and physical inactivity. More than 22 percent of District residents are obese and over 30 percent of preventable deaths in the District are due to poor diet and physical inactivity -- making it second only to tobacco use as a preventable cause of death.

“When we as individuals are healthy, our communities are healthy -- and that gives us the ability to thrive,” said DOH Director Dr. Mohammad Akhter. “Keep it Moving DC! encourages all of us, as individuals and as a community, to take the steps we need to start living the healthier lives we are all capable of having and deserve to have.”

Most DPR Pools Not Affected By Drain-Cover Recall And Are Opening On Time

DPR is opening all 17 outdoor pools, 5 children’s pools and 9 spray parks starting Saturday, May 28. The District’s outdoor aquatic facilities will be open this weekend and on May 30, Memorial Day, from 12:00 noon until 6:00PM.

Outdoor pools will be open on weekends only until school lets out for the summer, and then all outdoor pools will be open six days a week (closed one day per week for cleaning and maintenance).

A large, nationwide recall of pool drain covers announced yesterday by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will delay the opening of a handful of outdoor pool facilities. After investigating all of its facilities, DPR determined that seven of the District’s “kiddie” or wading pools may be affected. Of the seven pools, four are confirmed as subject to the recall and will not open until the drains are replaced. The four affected "kiddie" pools are at Harry Thomas, Upshur, Theodore Hagans, and Rumsey.

The remaining pools in this category (Benning Park, Banneker, and Kelly Miller) may be exempt from the recall because they may not be classified as "kiddie" pools under the CPSC guidelines. DPR officials are conducting further evaluations of these pools before opening them.

For more information about the recall, please visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Two sites, Rosedale Recreation Center and Fort Stanton Recreation Center, are under construction.

DPR Director Jesus Aguirre said, “I am proud that for the second year in a row, DPR will open all outdoor pool facilities starting Memorial Day Weekend. I want to emphasize that while enjoying aquatic facilities is fun, I ask that youth, parents and guardians obey all pool rules so that everyone can have a safe, enjoyable summer.”

For more information regarding DPR Aquatic Facilities, please visit dpr.dc.gov. You may also call the DPR Aquatic office at (202) 671-1289 during business hours.

A complete listing of DPR outdoor pool sites is below:

OUTDOOR POOLS

STAND-ALONE CHILDREN’S POOLS

SPRAY PARKS