Member to Member " Park It Forward " Initiative Promotes Park and Recreation Month for Kansas City By Erin Gregory I n August of 2012, the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, passed a sales tax in support of Kansas City Parks and Recreation, a CAPRA-certified agency. Among other benefits, the tax explicitly called for funding revamped parks marketing materials and an updated website. As a result, the agency's marketing department initiated a major rebranding campaign in the first quarter of 2013 - the first in more than five years. The rebranding process included a completely redesigned website from the ground up; new print collateral; ad placements on everything from buses to billboards; enhanced social media efforts; and public relations for print, television and radio editorial. The process was completed in late spring of 2013, just in time for NRPA's an- nual celebration of Park and Recreation Month in July. To highlight the monthlong celebration of America's parks and to supplement the efforts of the rebranding process, the Kansas City Parks and Recreation marketing team initiated the " Park It Forward " campaign to drive additional traffic to the new website and its social media platforms via posts of myriad park activities. Kansas City Parks and Recreation in Missouri generated increased participation from the community and new traffic for their new website through a citywide marketing campaign. 22 Parks & Recreation | F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G