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the house and into a new passion with a tennis camp that highlights wellness with sports, making new friends, and Pizza Fridays. If sports aren't your thing, talk to Natalie Allen, the department's recreation programmer. She's responsible for providing diverse enrichment activities on a citywide level. Popular destination events that Allen oversees include the annual Halloween Trunk or Treat event in Carolyn Crayton Park, the recently added Jazz on the Lake at Lake Tobeso ee, and the MLK Oratorical Contest in partnership with the Martin Luther King Commission. Allen's goal is to implement recreational and leisure activities that help those from all walks of life as she increases the recreational awareness in the community. She said residents receive the benefits of citywide programs because they allow residents to become directly involved in what their community has to offer. "Recreation programs have empowered residents to become better networked in volunteering, using their voice to change community issues and taking the time out to build family bonds by enjoying leisure activities," Allen said. "Our parks and recreation department is a pillar in this community." BECOMING BIGGER THAN BALL PLAYING A er its official establishment, MBC Parks and Recreation became naturally synonymous with ball playing overtime. Youth and adult basketball, adult so ball and kickball, and youth flag and tackle football continue as athletic staples. As Macon transformed in the early 2000s from a medium-sized traditional, sleepy, southern town into a full-fledged urban force with vibrancy rooted in its music heritage, college communities, community collaborations, and centralized location, parks and recreation was changing too. And with the eventual consolidation of Macon and Bibb County, a one-cent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) passed, giving the department a way to leverage the overhaul of facilities, adding others, sprucing up parks, and branding itself through aggressive marketing, media, and online campaigns. Being "bigger than ball playing" became a managerial charge as well, according to Walker. The department began offering specialized programs in addition to existing ones, and today they can be found at various locations. "Macon-Bibb County is a very diverse community. Macon-Bibb County Recreation Department programs and services must reflect the community in which it serves. Diverse recreational opportunities are very instrumental in providing a healthy quality of life for Macon-Bibb County citizens," Walker pointed out. Macon-Bibb County District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas is a longstanding recreation proponent. She views recreation as a quality-of-life issue and is pleased with what local recreation has become. She said it's an amenity that relieves the community from stress and provides relaxation to individuals and families. "Recreation as a quality-of-life issue ranks right up there with other things we consider quality of life issues. Any community owes it to its citizens to make recreation a priority," Lucas stressed, "and not just for one group of citizens, but it should emphasize all citizens to include seniors, children, teenagers, and all backgrounds." Lucas said she also feels the SPLOST was game-changing in that it provided Macon-Bibb County the means by which it could invest in local recreation in a big, sustainable way on behalf of all citizens everywhere throughout the county. "Going forward we should include an expansion of what we have. We need to plan our recreational offers," Lucas said, "and continue being inclusive in our efforts to inform citizens on what they will be getting to ensure our plans' success." To learn more on your neighborhood center's rec offerings, go to maconbibb.us/recreation. PICTURED: ROSA JACKSON COMMUNITY CENTER - SPRING BREAK BASKETBALL CAMP. FRANK JOHNSON CENTER - TEEN COMMUNICATORS PROGRAM. CAROLYN CRAYTON PARK - DURING CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL. 74 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2023