By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — Flanked by state Sen. Stephen Sweeney and Mayor David Maffei, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes launched a new round of matching grants for the popular “Mercer at Play” program Friday afternoon.
Mercer at Play offers matching grants to towns to develop active recreation projects. One of the first such projects was the athletic field complex at the former Twin Pines Airport, developed through a collaborative effort among Lawrence Township, Pennington Borough and Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough.
Standing underneath a tent on a warm summer afternoon in Central Park, Mr. Hughes said he was gratified that during the first round of Mercer at Play — offered in 2006 — municipalities “stepped up to the plate” and sought matching grants for recreation projects. Many towns had cut money for recreation from their budgets, he said.
But the Mercer at Play 50/50 matching grant program allowed those towns to seek money for recreation projects. Projects approved by Mercer County are eligible for a 50/50 matching grant if they are submitted by one town. Cooperative projects between two towns are eligible for more money.
Noting the success of the first round of Mercer at Play grants, Mr. Hughes said he was “thrilled” with the range of innovative projects that have been completed or are near completion, totaling $6.5 million. From skate parks and bocce courts to good old basketball and tennis courts, every one of the towns has been able to build or renovate active recreation projects, he said.
“As a parent, I know how challenging it is to keep kids active and engaged when they have so many devices to distract them,” Mr. Hughes said. “I believe it is up to us as leaders to provide outlets for children to go out and play.”
In a playful tweak aimed at First Lady Michelle Obama, Mr. Hughes said Mercer County officials were ahead of Mrs. Obama. The Mercer at Play initiative was launched in 2006 — four years before Mrs. Obama introduced the Let’s Move public health campaign for children in 2010.
Sen. Sweeney, who is the state Senate president, said that programs such as Mercer at Play improve the quality of life for children and adults alike. It really does come down to leadership, he said, praising Mr. Hughes for launching the program before anyone had done so.
Not wasting any time, Lawrence Township is preparing to file a grant application for a playground at Central Park — not far from where the officials were standing — that will have a rubberized surface that is suitable for both walkers and wheelchairs.
Mayor Maffei said it has been a long-standing goal to have an all-inclusive playground where children who have handicaps can play with children who do not. All children will be able to visit the playground and find ways to play with one another, he said.
Township officials have been planning for such a playground for several years, and have been setting aside money for it. There are plans to seek donations if the cost of the playground exceeds the amount of the matching grant. The playground should be in place by the fall.
