June 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 25

of paved greenways that run east-towest through downtown.
Visitors to Outdoor Knoxville can
rent a bike to ride on the greenways,
or rent a canoe, a kayak or a paddleboard to go out on the river, or simply get recreation information in one
centralized spot.
Recreation center leaders from our
park and recreation department partner with Outdoor Knoxville to take
kids on hikes and river paddles, part
of the " Kids Outside " program.
Overall, the City of Knoxville has
more than 2,000 acres of parks and
85 miles of greenways and trails.
We see ourselves as a city on the
move, and the response from Knoxvillians to exciting expansions in our
outdoor recreation options has been
overwhelmingly positive. People never tell me they want to do less. They
see good things happening, and they
want to accelerate.
P&R: You are holding a Seniors Outdoors! event to introduce seniors to
more outdoor activities. Why is senior
wellness a particular focus for you?
Rogero: Seniors Outdoors! at Ijams
Nature Center is really a great
event. The City is one of many
sponsors. It's an urban wilderness
event for people who are 60 or older, and it offers a half-day of guided strolls, hikes, and kayaking and
mountain-biking demonstrations.
The goal is to introduce seniors to
the wealth of outdoor opportunities within Knoxville's city limits.
We have a new generation of senior
citizens who grew up with outdoor
sports, whose idea of retirement is
finally having free time to paddleboard or hike the entirety of the
Great Smoky Mountains.
As a mayor who personally enjoys kayaking and being out on the

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero takes
time out to recreate on one of the city's
many boating-friendly waterways.

river, I understand how being active
and being outdoors leads to mental
and physical wellness. I want to help
make sure Knoxville's seniors have
those opportunities.
P&R: Knoxville is part of the NRPA
Commit to Health Initiative that involves committing to healthy eating and physical standards. Why is
this a priority?
Rogero: It's a priority because the
need is great, and we're making
headway and getting good results.
Since 2009, the percentage of
children screened in Knox County
Schools who were either overweight
or obese dropped from 39 percent to
33.2 percent.That's a dramatic drop
in a short time, and the City of Knoxville has been working with many
partners to address childhood obesity
on all fronts.
Through our After School and
Summer Playground programs at the
city's 12 community centers, we serve
healthy snacks to up to 1,000 children
daily. In 2013, that totaled almost
70,000 healthy snacks and meals. Our
goal is to help introduce children to

healthy foods and, longer term, we
want to encourage Knoxville families
to make good food choices.
P&R: We also asked Joe Walsh, director of the Knoxville Parks and
Recreation Department: Why is
Mayor Rogero's support for parks
and recreation so important to the
continued success of Knoxville's
parks? What does she do to support
them?
Walsh: Mayor Rogero realizes that
quality of life is important and that
there should be opportunities for citizens of all socioeconomic statuses
and backgrounds. Access for everyone is important. She has taken steps
to accomplish this through increasing
the greenway system and as part of
the Governor's Task Force on Aging.
The Mayor sees the importance of
supporting and funding the parks system and offers services across the city,
supporting infrastructure and making
it a walkable city by increasing trails
systems and crosswalks.
- Interview by Sage Learn, NRPA's
Government Affairs Manager

W W W. N R PA . O R G | J U N E 2 0 1 4 |

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June 2014 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
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