February 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 17

play in GLBT sports tournaments, one can
see there is a large market nationwide of
GLBT individuals traveling for sports. So
what can communities, especially those
budgets in the red, do to tap into the influx
of spending from GLBT athletic events?
First and foremost, an emphasis on fair
treatment and sensitivity should be present in all discussions about hosting GLBT
athletic events. The clichéd " Golden
Rule " may be a valuable guide for those
feeling immediate misgivings, and the
survey results provide the factual backing for that mindset.
If the facilities are available and the
event proposal is sound, park and recreation program officials can do their
community a great economic service by
hosting GLBT events. In fact, competition
for tournament and event agreements
should lead administrators to proactively
reach out to organizations like the CMSA
or NAGAA and bid on events. Considering the negative response the Gay
Games, CMSA, and GLBT athletics have
received in other communities, a welcoming bid would be mutually beneficial
to both parties and may indirectly help
bridge the social injustice. Either way, the
economic impact and participants' satisfaction form a win-win situation for park
and recreation program officials.
Greg Place, Ph.D ., is Assistant

P R O F ILE

Michele Whiteaker
A blogger connects moms and kids with local parks
M i ch e l e W h ite a k e r is a travel writer and
full-time parent who writes a popular blog,
-FunOrangeCountyParks.com, dedicated to op-

The most important element of a park blog
is photographs and/or video. My readers want
to see the parks before they go and browse

portunities for play in the public parks of Orange
County, California. Her blog gets several thou-

the playground map on their own time. A blog
makes it easy to share links via email, Face-

sand visitors each week-and she attracts new
readers through a dedicated social media out-

book, or other social media sites. Beyond the
ease of use, blogging allows me to start a con-

reach. We asked Whiteaker to share her perspective on the value of play and how the blogging

versation and keep it going day after day. The
exchange of information is astounding. I tell

platform can enhance parks' public outreach.

them about new park finds and they tell me
when something changes or they see something I missed. It's community service teamwork keeping both sides engaged.

Long, J. 2006. Gay Games tests suburb:
debate is an event for Crystal Lake. Chicago
Tribune. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from
www.redorbit.com/news/sports/465988/
gay_games_tests_suburb_debate_is_
an_event_for_crystal/index.html

What ignited your love for parks? And, given the many activities available in your area,
why do you keep your focus on Orange County's public parks?
My goal is promoting play. I'm convinced of
the developmental importance of play. Public
parks are free or low-cost entertainment options that provide a bridge for families to connect to nature and the outdoors. Parks were
not optional when my son was a toddler. I had
to get out of the house or risk losing my sanity.
In my experience, caregivers are already sleepdeprived and/or short on time, so it's tough to
come up with the energy to explore somewhere new. My blog takes the guesswork out
of the " Where should we go today? " question.

Wooten, A. 2006. Crystal Lake rowing clears
hurdle. March 8, 2006. Retrieved October 23,
2009 from http://windycitymediagroup.com/
gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=10942

How have readers used your blog to get the
most out of their local parks?

Professor of Recreation and Leisure
Studies, Shepherd University.
Shawn Schmidt, CPRP, is Managing
Director, Red Tape Agents, LLC.

References
Evans, T. 2009. Gay and lesbian travel
industry thrives in economic recession.
Retrieved on October 23, 2009 from www.
findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/
April/Gay-and-Lesbian-Travel-IndustryThrives-in-Economic-Recession-.html

What advice would you offer park leaders
seeking to expand their public outreach?
My biggest advice would be to reach out
to mothers of kids ages 1-5 and find out what
they want to know about parks. Lists are very
popular: sand-free parks, parks that are enclosed, parks within walking distance to farmer's markets, parks with nature centers, etc. It's
important to include lots and lots of photos.
Also, don't underestimate the importance of
SEO (search engine optimization). Most governmental websites have page ID numbers in
the URL rather than park names. It makes it
hard to find individual parks through a typical
search engine.
-Interview by Maureen Hannan

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