A group of Jackson County organizations is sponsoring an activity to encourage local families to get outside and have fun together.
Jackson County residents are invited to “park hop” beginning May 30 through July 31 by getting a passport to local parks.
Molly Marshall, health and human sciences educator for Purdue Extension Jackson County, said Healthy Jackson County is working with the libraries in the county in coordination with their Summer Learning Program.
“This is just another activity for residents to participate in this summer,” she said. “The Park Hop and Summer Learning Program are separate activities. We are just kicking them off at the same time, and the handouts will be located at all of the libraries for patrons to pick up to participate.”
When participants come to the library, they may sign up for the Summer Learning Program and the Park Hop at the same time.
The event is a partnership with Healthy Jackson County, the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department, Jackson County Public Library (Seymour, Medora and Crothersville branches), Brownstown Public Library and Schneck Medical Center.
Marshall said there is no official signup for the Park Hop. People can just pick up the paperwork, visit as many parks as they want and complete the suggested activities.
“Return the prize submission form by July 31 to any of the local libraries to have a chance to win prizes,” she said. “Prizes will include water bottles, games and activities to promote physical activity both at home and at the park.”
Forms will be entered into a random drawing for prizes with one entry per family.
Marshall said the goal of the Park Hop is to encourage participants to go outside, visit the local parks, be active and learn about all of the different opportunities for physical activity the parks can offer.
“Participation in the program is free, and you can sign up by picking up a passport from one of the local libraries and then visiting any one, or preferably all, of the parks,” Marshall said. “There is no minimum requirement, as we are encouraging people to get out and visit the different parks in Jackson County over the course of the summer.”
She said the library in Seymour also offers disc golf, pickleball and outdoor games that can be checked out in the summer months.
Marshall said the idea for the event was brought to Jackson County by Katelyn Kutemeier, community wellness coordinator with Purdue Extension, after she was involved with a Park Hop in Washington County.
Passports are intended to get people outdoors while they have fun tracking or documenting visits to Jackson County parks.
“We are excited to encourage people to get out and go,” Kutemeier said.
Stacy Findley, director of the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department, said they began planning about six months ago for the first of hopefully many years for the Park Hop program.
“Katelyn Kutemeier is a wealth of information, and I have had the opportunity to work with her for many years, beginning in Bartholomew County,” Findley said. “I give Katelyn complete credit for initiating it within Jackson County, and I feel honored she chose Seymour Parks and Recreation to be part of it.”
She said the Park Hop program seemed like a great fit for Seymour Parks and Recreation because it strives to get people into parks and be active.
“I love that all the libraries throughout the county are involved as well as the other parks within the county are on the passport,” Findley said. “The Park Hop program allows families or individuals the opportunity to visit parks as their schedule allows. My hope is that it is a fun, free opportunity to visit parks throughout the county that maybe they haven’t visited before.”
Seymour Parks and Recreation will be providing water bottles for participants and prizes for a drawing. The prizes will include outdoor backpacks and various kinds of sports equipment.
“I hope that individuals and families love the program and it can be a regular summer offering to our community,” Findley said.
Parks listed on the passport are Brownstown — Brownstown Park; Crothersville — Bard Street Park and Veterans Park; Medora — Medora Town Park; and Seymour — Burkhart Plaza, Crossroads Community Park, Kasting Park, Freeman Field Recreational Complex, Gaiser Park, Shields Park, Schurman-Grubb Memorial Skatepark and Westside Park.
For information, email Marshall at [email protected].