LOS ANGELES – Last week, Let's Play (an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple), KaBOOM! and the City of Los Angeles' Mayor's Office launched Let's Play Everywhere LA, a city-wide competition that will award grantees up to $200,000 to fund creative ideas that transform everyday spaces into places that make play easy and accessible to kids and families in Los Angeles.

Play is critical to the physical, cognitive, creative, social and emotional development of all kids, yet too many are missing out on the chance to play, especially kids living in underserved communities. There are significant barriers to play, beginning with a lack of play spaces at home, at school and in communities. In Los Angeles, there are more than 16,000 acres of parkland, but these open spaces are not easily accessible to everyone. In some communities, as little as 28% of the population lives within a 10-minute walk of a public park; in other dense neighborhoods, the amount of open space available can be as low as 0.3-acres per 1,000 residents. 

Let's Play Everywhere LA is the first city-wide initiative that will award out-of-the-box solutions to make play a way of life in everyday and unexpected places: on sidewalks, in vacant lots, at bus stops, in open streets and beyond, and especially in communities where families struggle to make ends meet. The partners are asking for applicants to submit ideas that will encourage play where there is the greatest need across the city.

"With Let's Play Everywhere LA, we're thrilled to be able to make every day spaces more playable and help kids and families integrate active play into their daily lives," said Vicki Draughn, Dr Pepper Snapple vice president–corporate affairs.

"As a dad, I know kids will find ways to play wherever they go—if they are given the chance," said James Siegal, CEO of KaBOOM!. "We are grateful for the commitment of our partner Dr Pepper Snapple to make it possible for kids to have more opportunities to play, no matter where they live, where they come from or how much their families earn.”As a dad, I know kids will find ways to play wherever they go—if they are given the chance," said James Siegal, CEO of KaBOOM!. "We are grateful for the commitment of our partner Dr Pepper Snapple to make it possible for kids to have more opportunities to play, no matter where they live, where they come from or how much their families earn.”

Applications will be accepted from June 1 – July 21, and applicants can be government entities, nonprofits or individuals/groups who have partnered with them. To learn more, including how to apply for a Let's Play Everywhere LA grant, visit kaboom.org/la.

In September 2016, NACS partnered with the Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Let’s Play initiative and KaBOOM! to build a new playground in East Point, Georgia, a city just outside of Atlanta. The groups were also joined by local community volunteers as well as volunteers from the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores and the Atlanta Retailers Association. Video from the event can be viewed at convenience.org/playground.