Get out the vote!

So, last week I told you all about the Coca-Cola Live Positively America Is Your Park campaign.

Have you voted?

I sure hope so! Remember, the voting period only runs through July 15, 2012. This program could result in your favorite park winning thousands of dollars. When I think of all the good a park could do with $100,000, I hop over to the web site (HERE!) and vote.

Because, honestly, I love parks -- and so do my kids and husband. We'll go for hikes, plan day trips and sometimes go camping. OK, full disclosure: I don't go camping. But my husband and son do, like last year when they enjoyed a little camping at Cherry Plain State Park, about a half hour from our house:

So, yeah. I'm all about the America Is Your Park campaign. 

What about the awesome park I'm voting for? (Schodack Island State Park, if you've forgotten.) It is racking up the votes! Right now, I'm ready to ratchet things up to campaign for my park, and you're invited to do the same.

See, community action is the name of the game. The park that won the title of "America's Favorite Park" last year had tons of community support. Fans of Oak Park in Minot, ND (the park that won) organized events in the park, got busy online spreading the word about the campaign and voted, voted and voted again.

You can support your favorite park by getting others involved:

• Visit the America Is Your Park campaign website and VOTE between now and July 15, 2012. After you vote, you'll see a link to share your action on Facebook. Do it! The more people who know, the more people who can vote.
• Speaking of Facebook, why not set up a page to support your favorite park? Invite your friends. And, heck, your frenemies too! Let them help you support your park.
• Check out the "Campaign for your park" link on the America Is Your Park site. It has lots of information and tips for supporting your park.
• Go to your park! But don't just park there. Run! Or bike, or stroll, or whatever you want to do. A busy park is a happy park. :-)
• Do you do those check-ins on Foursquare? Each check-in earns your favorite park 100 votes, so go for it! I might even be tempted to figure this Foursquare thing out...
• Tweet about it! Email about it! Get up, walk over to your neighbor's house and chat about it! 

Basically: Spread the word. For your park's sake.

If you've voted, take a minute to let me -- and others -- know which park you voted for!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Only legal residents of the 50 U.S. (and D.C.) who are at least 13 years old and reside within the U.S. at the time of participation are eligible to vote for a Park. Participate on behalf of a Park by: July 15, 2012. The 3 most popular Parks will be offered a grant and there will be 1 Wild Card drawing at the end of the Contest to award an additional grant.  To participate, for Official Rules, and complete details including grant descriptions, visit www.LivePositively.com/parks. Void where prohibited.

America is Your Park!

As a runner and parent, I have a fondness for parks and all they have to offer -- running trails for people like me, biking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, nature, the great outdoors . . . all that good stuff.

We love getting out to enjoy our local parks!

Fortunately, I live among several truly awesome parks here in upstate New York. Unfortunately, funding for parks is often at risk.

Right now, though, you can help your favorite park score some big bucks. Through Coca-Cola's third-annual America is Your Park campaign, people -- like you and me -- can vote for their favorite park to win one of three recreation grants: $100,000 for first place, $50,000 for second and $25,000 for third. Coca-Cola will also award a $15,000 grant, at random, to a park that comes in 4th to 25th place.

So, you're ready to vote, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to give their favorite park a chance to win this kind of grant? Exactly. So here are the details:

How to vote

Voting is super easy. Just visit the Coca-Cola Live Positively site HERE. Vote by searching for your favorite park using the interactive map, or by checking in via Foursquare. If, unlike me, you have such techie apps.

That's it! Easy.

Then, if you really love your park, tell you friends. And your relatives. Just vote between now and July 15, 2012.

I voted!

Of course, I wouldn't ask you to vote if I wasn't going to vote for my favorite park. I popped over to the web site (HERE!) and voted for Schodack Island State Park.

Why? Well, for starters, the park is in my parents' hometown. And it is right down the road from one of my best friends. And it has a nice playground, great trails and access to the Hudson River. It also hosts some good running races, like the Dodge the Deer 5K in April.

We even hit the park on cold days!

The 2011 Dodge the Deer 5K.

The park has also faced some closure threats recently, due to state budget cuts. It would be a shame if Schodack Island State Park had to close or cut services. So, yeah, it gets my vote.

What about you?

What is your favorite park? Give it some thought. And then go vote!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Only legal residents of the 50 U.S. (and D.C.) who are at least 13 years old and reside within the U.S. at the time of participation are eligible to vote for a Park. Participate on behalf of a Park by: July 15, 2012. The 3 most popular Parks will be offered a grant and there will be 1 Wild Card drawing at the end of the Contest to award an additional grant.  To participate, for Official Rules, and complete details including grant descriptions, visit www.LivePositively.com/parks.  Void where prohibited.