VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — April is Financial Literacy Month. As warmer weather approaches, more people may be outside looking for recreational events at a low cost.
10 On Your Side spoke with Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Director Michael Kirschman.
He said Parks and Rec maintains nearly 300 parks in Resort City. There is a plethora of events and free activities that the community is invited to, Kirschman added.
“All of our special events throughout the year are free,” Kirschman said. “We do free concerts on the beach, a little island in the summertime.”
He said if people want to do recreation events at home, they can use park equipment at no cost.
“We have free recreational equipment that you can just check out,” Kirschman said. “So for instance, if you need a basketball or a volleyball, or even if you want the beanbags for cornhole, all you can do is you can check those out at the staff office. You just need to drop off your photo ID. They’ll hold that while you use these activities, so it’s all free.”
Free VB Parks events:
- Series of fitness classes at Mount Trashmore.
- May 4 is the “Touch a Truck” event at Williams Farm Rec Center. It’s a free family-friendly event where the kiddos can climb into police cars, fire and dump trucks.
- June 8 to Aug. 26 is “Parks After Dark.” The event includes free recreational activities and entertainment that start at 6 p.m. at night. It goes from Thursday-Sunday.
Park and Rec also has a low cost camp. It’s called RISE Summer Enrichment Program. It provides hands-on experimental, project-based learning. Breakfast and lunch is provided in the program.
There is also a Community Care Fund. The community can donate money, that allows parents to enroll their children in Departmental Programs and Services. This service helps parents that can’t afford to enroll their children certain programs.
Kirschman said Parks and Rec provides helps for park membership and activity fees.
“If you are financially struggling, we do provide discounts,” Kirschman said. “Our rec centers are already extremely affordable. They are $112 a year right now, but we offer 50% off. So if you, or your family is facing financial difficulties and you’re on any type of financial assistance, we will automatically waive 50% of that. We also have, through the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation, the Community Cares Fund, they will pick up the remaining 50%.”
Kirschman said the discount could cover youth sports, child care, summer camps and rec center membership.
“So we have numerous options to remove the barriers to make sure that anybody can participate in the recreational activities that we provide,” Kirschman said.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
