The public is invited to participate in a volunteer day for Peoria GreenSplash, located at the northwest corner of the intersection of S. Griswold St. and S. Friedan St. in Peoria on Friday, July 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The new splash park and educational area was made possible through a $150,000 Building Better Communities grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Volunteers will have the opportunity to enhance the park by planting native plants. Volunteers are asked to prepare for the event by bringing sunblock, a hat, reusable water bottle, garden gloves and trowels. There will be a limited amount of extra gloves and trowels on hand at the event. Illinois American Water will provide drinking water.

“Providing native flowers is just one of the ways education can play a factor in this educational and recreational feature,” said City of Peoria Public Works Director Scott Reeise. “We are happy to provide another opportunity for green infrastructure education in a public project.” Peoria GreenSplash will feature educational signage detailing the benefits of native plants and clean water throughout the site.

The splash park is the result of a collaboration between the American Water Charitable Foundation, NRPA, the City of Peoria, Illinois American Water and the Peoria Housing Authority. The splash park is currently being constructed on land donated by the PHA, alongside of the Harrison Homes redevelopment. The City of Peoria applied for and received the grant in 2017.

“Providing a space for the community to be hands on and learn about the environment - especially green infrastructure - is a valuable part of this project,” said Laura Martin, president of the American Water Charitable Foundation. “Peoria GreenSplash benefits the children and families in this community while encouraging the continued viability and protection of our water resources."

Community parks like Peoria GreenSplash are vital for connecting children to nature. Nature-based play areas foster an appreciation for environmental stewardship, while providing opportunities for physical activity.

In Peoria, community members will benefit by playing in clean water and learning about native plants, the natural water cycle, and environmental stewardship. The new park is scheduled to open later this summer.

Illinois American Water’s skilled union employees contributed to the project by installing water service for the splash park. Roger Goodson, senior operations manager for Illinois American Water said, “Water is a key ingredient to summertime fun. Our employees were honored to provide their trade skills for this project and to leave a lasting, personal contribution in a community they not only work, but live. We encourage residents to do the same by participating in the volunteer day.”

For information about the Building Better Communities program, visit https://amwater.com/corp/customers-and-communities/american-water-charitable-foundation/signature-program.

The American Water Charitable Foundation was established in 2010 with a founding contribution from American Water, the American Water Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides a formal way to demonstrate the company’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor, citizen, and contributor to the communities where American Water and its employees live, work and operate. The Foundation helps support American Water employee-identified nonprofit endeavors. More information about the Foundation can be found at amwater.com.

Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,900 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 46 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of nearly 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

The Peoria Housing Authority (PHA) is committed to providing, affordable housing opportunities for all of the citizens living in an area generally known as “Central Illinois.” In addition, through the development of strong partnerships with current residents and appropriate community agencies, the PHA seeks to develop new programs (housing, social and educational) to enhance the quality of life for its resident, thereby offering numerous opportunities for self-sufficiency. Currently the PHA serves over 6,300 family members throughout our Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Program. The PHA has begun to expand its housing portfolio with modern mixed income developments and continues to search for ways to expand affordable housing throughout our service area. Learn more at www.peoriahousing.org.

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