PlayLA Adaptive youth sports program receives 2023 Marketing & Communications Award of Excellence

Los Angeles (February 29, 2024)  – The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program has been awarded the 2023 Marketing & Communications Award of Excellence from the California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS).

The CPRS Marketing & Communications Award of Excellence was presented to PlayLA during the CPRS Connections Conference & Expo Best of the Best Showcase on February 29, 2024, in Palm Springs, CA. The Award honors outstanding achievements in promoting programs that have successfully demonstrated increased public awareness through effective print, audio-visual, or electronic communications from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023. 

PlayLA Youth & Adaptive Youth Sports Program Chief Operations Officer Austin Dumas said: “We are honored and proud to receive this prestigious award. PlayLA is the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California, and this recognition is a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing access to adaptive sports programming to youth with disabilities and sharing their inspiring stories. We are committed to fostering a more equitable, accessible and inclusive community for youth of all abilities across the City of LA.”

The PlayLA Adaptive Youth Sports Program has thoughtfully and strategically used marketing and communications to engage the disability community, primarily youth with disabilities and their parents, through face-to-face outreach, distribution of digital and print marketing materials in English and Spanish, online outreach, targeted social media campaigns, and media relations. These efforts helped result in over 1,500 youth participating in PlayLA’s inclusive and accessible adaptive sports programming from November 2022 to October 2023.

Since its inception, PlayLA has steadily grown awareness of its programming and built trust and long-lasting relationships with youth with disabilities and their families. The team has also collaborated with experienced and credible organizations in the region with common goals, allowing PlayLA to form a strong presence in the global disability community.

PlayLA, made possible by an investment from the International Olympic Committee and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, provides quality, accessible adaptive sports programming to youth with disabilities across the City of Los Angeles, including para equestrian, adaptive archery, sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis, para surf and more.

More information and registration for adaptive sports can be found at adaptivesportsla.org. 

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Media Contacts: 
Deirdra Boykin / [email protected] / (213) 588-6608 
Lala Ismailova / [email protected] / (323) 246-1110 
 

About PlayLA Youth & Adaptive Youth Sports Program

PlayLA is a city-wide initiative that provides access to inclusive, year-round, quality sports programming for youth of all abilities, ages 5-17. Made possible by an investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), PlayLA is the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California. It serves as a legacy before, during and after the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.