MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
In partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York’s Fearless February
Please click here to download a PDF of this media advisory.
Who:
Stephanie L. Crockatt, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Julie R. Snyder, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York
Mayor Byron W. Brown, City of Buffalo
City of Buffalo Council Member Ulysees O. Wingo, Sr.
What:
Join us for free winter activities and healthy snacks at this year’s Winter Blast at MLK Jr. Park. Activities include the BlueCross BlueShield Healthy Zone Cruiser, pond ice-skating (weather dependent), free skate rentals (figure and hockey), face-painting, balloon art, Buffalo & Erie County Library on Wheels and meet animals from The Buffalo Zoo. Sabretooth and Sabres alumnus Morris Titanic will be on site to join in on the fun. Refreshments are donated in-kind by Ashker’s Buffalo, James Desiderio Inc., Tops Friendly Markets, Wegmans. The Winter Blast is part of Fearless February, BlueCross BlueShield’s event series featuring free, healthy activities for families to enjoy during winter break.
Where:
Martin Luther King Jr. Park Basin and Casino
West Parade Circle, Buffalo, NY 14211
Parking is available along Humboldt Parkway South (enter via West Parade Circle) and Martin Luther King Jr. Park (enter via Northampton Street)
When:
Saturday, February 16, 2019, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Agenda
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Indoor and Outdoor Activities
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Press Conference and Photo Opportunity
Regular free ice-skating hours at the MLK Jr. Park Basin are Monday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5:30 p.m. Ice-skating is weather dependent. For the most up-to-date information on ice conditions, please call 716-838-1249 ext. 17.
Learn more at https://www.bfloparks.org/event/olmsted-event-winter-blast-2019-at-mlk-jr-park/.
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MLK Jr. Park Basin History
This Buffalo eastside park was originally named The Parade by Frederick Law Olmsted. Later, it was renamed Humboldt Park and most recently renamed MLK Jr. Park. The park’s most significant feature is a five-acre water basin with a central lighting fixture. The historic basin is located to the east of the brick Casino building. The building was reconstructed in 1926 and has undergone extensive exterior and interior renovations as of 2018, where today free ice-skate rentals are offered. The basin itself was renovated from 2011 to 2013 and now seasonally serves as a summer splash pad, reflecting pool, or winter ice skating rink as weather allows.
About the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is the first nonprofit organization in the nation to manage and operate an entire urban park system that consists of over 850 acres of parks, parkways and circles. The park system was designed more than 150 years ago by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. Today, over 2.5 million people use Buffalo’s historic and award-winning Olmsted Park System annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. Since 2004, basic maintenance of the parks has greatly improved since the groundbreaking public-private agreement between the City of Buffalo, Erie County and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. The Conservancy’s mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance and maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed landscape in the Greater Buffalo area. Learn more at: www.bfloparks.org.
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo, Delaware Park in Delaware/Parkside District, Front Park at the Peace Bridge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Fillmore Avenue, Riverside Park at Niagara and Tonawanda Street, and South Park at McKinley Parkway
Seven parkways: Bidwell, Chapin, Lincoln, McKinley, Porter, Red Jacket, and Richmond
Eight traffic circles: Agassiz, Colonial, Ferry, Gates, McClellan, McKinley, Soldiers, and Symphony Smaller spaces: Columbus Park, Days Park, Heacock Park, Prospect Park
