MOJO Mission: Parktivity

When I first created this blog, part of the vision was to share and promote great things being done out in the world through a little thing I call The MOJO Mission.

I'm very excited and very proud to introduce Parktivity to the MOJO mission stage!

It's not just a cool name, it's a nonprofit organization created less than a year ago by my good friend Emerson Sarmiento.

Emerson and I met in a leadership program last fall. The core component of the class was for each student to create a project in their community.

"Community project" was a loose term that really meant anywhere outside of yourself and anything from cleaning your garage to creating a nonprofit from scratch.

Emerson chose the latter.

He told me all about growing up in the Philippines with no parks or recreational areas to play in.

He described a concrete landscape without basketball courts or baseball fields, or places to play without cars passing by.

There were simply no public parks where kids could run around and... well... be kids.

There were no jungle gyms where parents could sit and watch their kids climb the monkey bars or fly down the slide.

Emerson's mission was clear - to bring playgrounds to his home town, and to underprivileged areas around the world.

Several months, endless work hours, and one team of relentlessly passionate people later, Parktivity was officially born.

I literally can't imagine what life would be like if I hadn't spent my youth playing softball on countless local fields.

I can't imagine what it would be like going to elementary school without the jungle gym in the courtyard, or summer camp without fields for kickball, soccer, and colorwar.

Imagine every memory you have playing on a playground as a kid. Now imagine a life without them.

Parktivity's mission is to build neighborhood playgrounds so that kids everywhere can live out the true spirit of being young and having fun. They also want to foster creativity beyond the playground by building volunteer-based programs around sports, art, and dance. Amazing!

The goal of Parktivity parks is keep kids at the playground and off the streets by giving them a place to do what all kids are meant to do... play!

Check out Parktivity's cool video snippet below and come out next Thursday for Parktivity's official launch party!! Get your tickets here.

The event will be held at Knoll Studio in the Google Building... that's in the meatpacking district, so wear your fancy pants and be prepared to eat, drink, and be inspired! 

It'll definitely be an amazing event, but if you can't make it you can also support the cause by purchasing a raffle or simply donating.