National Park Service Deputy Director to Participate in Every Kid in a Park and Naturalization Ceremony Events in Richmond

Date: March 18, 2016
Contact: Sue Fritzke, 510-232-5050 Ext. 6601

RICHMOND, CA – National Park Service (NPS) Deputy Director of Congressional and External Relations Denise R. Ryan will participate in events on Wednesday March 23 and Thursday March 24 at the Craneway Pavilion (1414 Harbour Way South, Richmond, CA) to highlight the National Park Service Centennial, the Every Kid in a Park initiative, and Women’s History Month.

Deputy Director Ryan plans to spend Wednesday March 23 attending the Every Kid in a Park event in Richmond, where she will award Every Kid in a Park passes to fourth graders. The Every Kid in a Park program allows fourth graders nationwide to go to www.everykidinapark.gov and obtain a pass for free entry for them and their families to federally managed lands and waters nationwide for an entire year. The program in Richmond is a collaborative effort between the NPS, University of California Berkeley College of Natural Resources, Rosie the Riveter Trust, West Contra Costa Unified School District, and Groundwork Richmond. The Every Kid in a Park initiative is central to the NPS Centennial goal to “connect with and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates.”, and the NPS is reaching out to young adults to help them find unforgettable experiences in their national parks.

Deputy Director Ryan plans to spend Thursday March 24 participating in the Naturalization Ceremony at the Craneway Pavilion with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This has become an annual event, held in honor of Women’s History Month. USCIS San Francisco Field Office Director Robin Barrett will administer the Oath of Allegiance. Park Ranger Betty Reid-Soskin, 94 years young, who worked at the segregated Boilermakers A-36 union hall during the war, will be making the keynote speech. In 1995, she was recognized as California’s Woman of the Year by the California Legislature. In December 2015, she introduced the President for the national Christmas tree lighting in Washington, D.C.

The Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM and is located at 1414 Harbour Way South, suite 3000, Richmond, CA 94804. For more information and directions to the Visitor Education Center, please call [phone] x0 or visit to https://www.nps.gov/rori/planyourvisit/directions.htm. Admission to the Visitor Center and all park sites and programs is free.

If you would like to receive information about upcoming park events, visit www.rosietheriveter.org and sign up for the email newsletter. The Rosie the Riveter Trust is the nonprofit association that is building a community of support for this nation