Montgomery Parks announced a new partnership with Silver Spring-based Leveling the Playing Field to help the nonprofit collect new and “gently used” sports equipment.
Montgomery Parks has placed bins for equipment drop-offs at three parks: Olney Manor Recreational Parks, Ridge Road Recreational Park and Wheaton Regional Park at the Orebaugh Area near the indoor tennis center.
“We are so excited to partner with Montgomery Parks to not only keep sports equipment out of the landfill, but also to put it into the hands of a kid looking to get off of the sidelines,” said Max Levitt, founder and executive director of Leveling the Playing Field, said in a press release.
“The bins we have placed at parks throughout the county will significantly increase the amount of gear coming into our warehouse and will allow us to make a much deeper impact on our local community and the planet,” he continued.
“Getting kids outside and engaging them in physical activity is a key part of our mission, so this is a great program and a natural partnership for Montgomery Parks,” Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks, added.
LPF accepts equipment for most sports including baseball, football, basketball, racquet sports (except racquetball), field hockey, golf, lacrosse and more.
The group does not accept items such athletic shoes (except cleats), bicycle helmets, bike/skateboard elbow or kneepads, fishing equipment, partial sets of uniforms, ping-pong equipment, protective cups/jock straps and others. A complete list of what is and is not acceptable is available online.
Donations also can be dropped off at LPF’s warehouse at 9170 Brookville Rd. in Silver Spring.
The equipment is donated to schools and organizations that provide them to under-resourced youth groups, community programs, and schools in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and the District of Columbia.
The organization also has offices in Baltimore and Philadelphia to serve those areas.
Photo from pxhere.com under CCO Public Domain license