The Coca-Cola Company : Say "Yes" to Parks with Coca-Cola this Summer
05/23/2012| 12:05pm US/Eastern

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Third-annual America Is Your Park campaign empowers people to
rally their communities and get out the vote to elect "America's
Favorite Park"
This summer, Coca-Cola is rallying people to cast a "swing vote" for
their favorite park candidate. Beginning today, slides, park swings,
see-saws and open play spaces all stand to benefit in the third-annual America
Is Your Park campaign.
With the click of a button, park goers can change their communities by
voting for their favorite park to win the title of "America's Favorite
Park." Also at stake is a $100,000 recreation grant made possible by the
Coca-Cola Live Positively initiative.
"Parks are the anchors of our communities, but budget cuts have left
them with little funds for restoration," said Celeste Bottorff, Vice
President, Living Well, Coca-Cola North America. "Through the Coca-Cola America
Is Your Park campaign, a small action today can turn your favorite
park into a better place to play tomorrow. So whether it's an evening
walk or a day of family fun, get out and play in the park - and vote to
help your favorite win."
Voting for "America's Favorite Park" is easy! Park lovers can visit LivePositively.com/parks
to earn one vote per click for their favorite park. People can also earn
100 votes each time they "check in" from the park. More details on how
to vote from the park are available on the website.
The three parks that receive the most votes by July 15, 2012 will be
awarded recreation grants in the following amounts: First Place -
$100,000; Second Place - $50,000; and Third Place - $25,000. In
addition, a $15,000 grant will be awarded at random to another park that
places in one of the remaining top 25 spots. These recreation grants are
provided to help restore, rebuild or enhance activity areas in parks
where people can play and be active.
The Story of Last Year's Winner Inspires Communities in 2012
It takes a community to save a park! The 2011 winner, Oak Park, is a
great example of a community that banded together to rock the park vote.
After a flood destroyed this beloved park in the small town of Minot,
ND, residents organized to get out the vote. They urged neighbors to
join in, organized voting drives and spread their message through online
communities. Hometown celebrities also energized their social networks,
and their fans responded by supporting the cause. The $100,000 grant is
being used to help rebuild the park so families can enjoy the outdoors
once again.
"Residents of Minot pulled out all the stops to get people involved,"
said Ron Bieri, Minot Park Board President. "America Is Your Park
inspired our entire town to come together to turn a terrible situation
into a story of hope for people here and across the country."
This year, Coca-Cola is making it simple for park enthusiasts to rally
their communities around their favorite park. America Is Your Park
campaign materials and other information are available for download at LivePositively.com/parks.
The America Is Your Park campaign was developed in collaboration
with the National
Park Foundation, America's
State Parks and the National
Recreation and Park Association.
America Is Your Park Extends Coca-Cola's Commitment to
Active, Healthy Living
For 126 years, Coca-Cola has worked to make a positive difference in
local communities through our "Live Positively" philosophy. It is an
expression of what we do and how we constructively support people and
the communities where they live, work and play. Our active, healthy
living initiatives include:
-
For more than 40 years, Coca-Cola has supported America's parks
through partnerships with individual parks and national park
organizations. The Company has donated nearly $15 million for
restoration and renovation of our country's parks.
-
We support many active, healthy living programs, including Exercise is
Medicine™, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's Triple Play program
and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
-
More than 50 local parks and community facilities will be built or
refurbished to encourage safe exercise and play in 2012. These
facilities are made possible by donations from Company brands and
health and wellness initiatives.
The Coca-Cola Company
The
Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still
brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's
portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta,
Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply,
Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling
beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through
the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than
200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a
day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities,
our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental
footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work
environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of
the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners,
we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than
700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com
or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.
America Is Your Park Shortened URL: http://CokeURL.com/parks
Campaign Hashtag: #VoteParks

The Coca-Cola Company
Abby Todd, 404-676-5873
atodd@coca-cola.com
© Business Wire 2012
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