Barry A. Sanders Sports Field

(3BL Media) Los Angeles, CA - September 20, 2012 - The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks along with Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Councilman Tony Cárdenas, Sixth District, and the Los Angeles Parks Foundation today opened the first All Access Sports Field within the City and County of Los Angeles. The Master of Ceremonies was Stephani Victor, Paralympic Gold Medalist and World Campion. The field is named in honor of the current President of the Board of Commissioners for Recreation and Parks, Barry A. Sanders. The dedication was held on September 20, 2012 at 9:30 located at 6300 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys 91316.

The field is designed for the use of children and adults with disabilities and has been a dream of the Department for more than 10 years. The opportunity for these individuals to participate in baseball, soccer, and basketball is being achieved with the creation of this specialty field with a rubberized surface designed for wheelchairs, walkers, and those with an unsteady gait due to physical disabilities.

“The Department of Recreation and Parks is committed to bringing play and park access to everyone. This field is dedicated to the citizens of Los Angeles with a special thank you to our Commission President, Barry A. Sanders and his family for their drive and unwavering efforts in making this dream happen,” said Jon Kirk Mukri, General Manager, Recreation and Parks.

Thanks to the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and the incredible support and dedication of Barry A. Sanders, nearly $800,000 has been raised to make this dream come true so that children and adults with disabilities will experience team sports participation on a field of their own.

“This new sports field is the first of its kind: a field built so everyone can play. I can think of no higher honor than having my name associated with this example of caring and equality,” said Barry A. Sanders, Commission President, Recreation and Parks.

The generous funding partners are GRoW, an initiative of the Annenberg Foundation, Weingart Foundation, LA84 Foundation, Chevrolet, and the Office of Councilman Tony Cárdenas. “Every child, regardless of their abilities, deserves to have a place to play. Now we can guarantee that our children with disabilities also have somewhere to go to experience America’s past-time,” said Councilman Tony Cárdenas. “It’s also very fitting to have this field named after Barry A. Sanders, who has been a true champion for all families and children for our Department of Recreation and Parks.”

“The Annenberg Foundation is dedicated to creating community space that everyone can enjoy. I’m delighted to help with this innovative sports field and hope it becomes a model for other communities,” said Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, Vice President and Director, Annenberg Foundation.

"Chevrolet and the Southern California Chevrolet Dealers are honored to partner with CBS EcoMedia and the Los Angeles Parks Foundation to help make the All Access Sports Field at Beilenson Park a reality. At Chevrolet, we're all about building the next generation of memories through our commitment to youth sports, one community at a time. We're excited that the facility will provide children of all ages and abilities the chance to participate in organized youth sports and recreational opportunities in a safe and comfortable environment.

We’re committed to continuous improvement as we reduce the environmental impact of our vehicles and facilities and special environmental improvements at Beilenson Park go a long way in supporting those goals. Chevrolet is proud to be a part of such a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community where we live, work and play," said Craig Vickers, Western Region Marketing Manager, Chevrolet.

"For me personally, the drive, tenacity, and psychological and emotional strength exhibited by athletes with physical challenges are inspiring. So it’s personally gratifying to be able to help make the all-access sport field at Beilenson Park a reality. But the entire team at EcoMedia is especially proud of this achievement; it’s the first facility of its kind anywhere in the region and, thanks to Chevrolet, the park’s special features (solar power, water conservation technologies, and sustainable landscaping) are bringing additional benefits to this community in the form of cost savings and reduced carbon emissions. All in all, Beilenson Park is a perfect example of the win-win opportunities we strive to make possible through our EcoAd Program,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder, CBS EcoMedia.

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About the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks:

The Department of Recreation and Parks maintains over 15,710 acres of parkland with over 420 neighborhood and regional parks, 184 recreation centers and facilities, 368 children's play areas, 321 tennis courts, 256 ball fields, 31 senior centers, 13 golf courses, 9 dog parks, 18 skate parks, 12 museums and an urban forest of one million trees. The Department also provides after school and day care programs for children teens, including basketball, volleyball, softball and flag football leagues. For more information about the Department of Recreation and Parks, please visit www.laparks.org

About the Los Angeles Parks Foundation:

The foundation’s grants have helped to re-establish a mounted patrol unit in Griffith Park and added a range of amenities, including benches and shade structures, at a variety of other sites. The foundation’s website – www.laparksfoundation.org – encourages donations to benefit specific neighborhood parks and provides access to Adopt-A-Park and Donate-A- Bench programs. www.laparksfoundation.org

About the Annenberg Foundation:

The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. The Foundation and its Board of Directors are also directly involved in the community with innovative projects that further its mission to advance public well-being through improved communication. The Foundation encourages the development of effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. www.annenbergfoundation.org

About Weingart Foundation:

The Weingart Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation which seeks to build better communities by providing assistance to those in need. The Foundation was founded in 1951 by Ben and Stella Weingart. http://www.weingartfnd.org/

About LA84 Foundation:

The mission of the LA84 Foundation is to serve youth through sport and to increase knowledge of sport and its impact on people’s lives. The LA84 Foundation is endowed with surplus funds from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

About Chevrolet:

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc:

At EcoMedia, we're propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that's been our mission since we founded the company in 2002. In 2008, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media.

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide. In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertisinglandscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change. Please visit www.ecomedia.cbs.com to learn more.