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Lot 13 to go green Friday

Cal State Long Beach’s Recreation Society is taking the “lot” out of parking lot.

With funding from Associated Students Inc., the Recreation Society will host PARK(ing) Day tomorrow in Parking Lot 13 near the Walter Pyramid.

For the event, the parking lot will be transformed into a public park for students to engage in “A Day at the Park” activities. Soccer balls, footballs, hula-hoops and jump ropes will be available for students to use from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event that advocates the importance of open space not only for the beautification of a community but also for a community’s well being, according to parkingday.org.

The grassroots movement first began in San Francisco in 2005 when Rebar, an art and design studio in the city, created a public park in a metered parking space for the allotted meter time, which was two hours, according to the website.

Since then, the PARK(ing) Day project has transformed parking lots into temporary parks in 35 countries around the world.

“As a country, we are constantly on a full schedule and
always on the go,” said Erika Luna Diaz, Recreation Society publicist and senior recreation and leisure studies major. “This is why it is highly important that we have
local, open space available to everyone. Open space is a free, simple
and easy way to relax.”

The Recreation Society hopes to spread awareness to students about the importance of open space and inform them about the open space available to them on campus, according to Nancy Matthews, head of the recreation society.

A location away from a cement-based city also gives the individual a place to escape from an otherwise hard world, Matthews said.

“The benefits of open space are endless … You will never see
a flower bloom on a concrete ground,” Diaz said. “It is precious moments and details
that make open space special and unique. Parks are a great place where
many individuals meet, gather together and spend quality time.”

The Recreation Society said it advocates open space as a way to reduce health risks, stress and crime. Open spaces allow communities to gather and allow for various events such as family gatherings, birthday parties and yearly events.

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