Mecklenburg County’s new rolling recreation center, the “Meck Rec & Roll” van, has started rolling to a few neighborhoods in Mecklenburg County. The former 12-passenger van has been fitted with shelving and hooks to store recreation equipment for games and activities for kids, teens, and adults.
For right now, the van is rolling on Wednesdays and Fridays, says Superintendent of Community Recreation, Jay Tryon. Right now, the van is in TC Elder Park from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., and Howie Acres from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. On Fridays, it rolls to MLK Neighborhood Park from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
As more staff is brought on board to lead activities, more locations and days will be added. The van is part of an equity initiative after research revealed that only 37% of Mecklenburg County residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
“Locations are chosen based on recommendations from regional park staff that know the neighborhood parks and that are not within a short walk to recreation centers,” says Tryon. “The goal is to provide more opportunities for communities that have neighborhood parks and or are not close to some of our traditional recreation centers.”
We’ll keep up with where the van is headed, so you know when it’s coming your way.
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