Support Our Parks: Fund Millennium Park Field Improvements                                                                 

Greetings,

My name is Jeovanni Lopez Ortiz and I am 14 years old. I have been a part of Parkway recreational soccer and travel soccer teams for the past 9 years. I have also refereed games for two years now and volunteered to help with the younger kids' travel soccer tryouts. My siblings are now starting to get involved with Parkway recreational soccer as well. I am writing this petition to bring more attention to the conditions of the Millennium Park fields. Even though there is scheduled landscape maintenance, some of the fields need repairs. Access to these fields is very important to many kids and teens like myself. Millennium Park is a gathering place that is frequently visited by an estimated 400,000 community members yearly and used for many activities. Addressing this matter would benefit the community as a whole.    

As a member of the community, I have safety concerns that can occur in the fields. One of the dangers I have noticed impact the athletes that practice and play games at Millennium.  The holes in the fields can cause injuries to the players and the referees.  Dog walkers also face the same danger. They can easily roll their ankles or trip when playing catch with their dogs.  People who do fitness like running or working out get impacted by problems like bumpy fields as well. Lastly, the fields are also used to host community events where all generations gather. The conditions of the fields also pose as a danger to older residents who may be prone to imbalances. Millennium park is an amazing space that should continue to be enjoyed by all without the risk of injury.        

We, as a community, believe that increasing the maintenance of Millennium Park fields is important. Fixing the fields will not only help keep them clean and aesthetically pleasing, but it will also reduce the risk of injury for those who use the fields. We want Parks and Recreation to consider increasing the allocated budget for field maintenance. If allocating the budget is an issue we can look at other ways to help like organizing fundraising efforts. Together as a community we can make a positive change that will benefit all of us.