InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip – August 2019

Rip Robertson is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tucker.

I hope everyone had an excellent summer. Here at the Tucker Recreation Center, we had a better summer than we ever could have anticipated.

Our Summer Camp was booked out every week. While there are still some growing pains, this being only our second year, the feedback we got from parents and campers was overwhelmingly positive. I see it every day at the Rec Center: kids making new friends and thriving through the summer.

We had some really successful special events, as well. Our Adult Field Day was so well-attended that we, along with our partners at Friends of Tucker Recreation Center, were able to fund 20 scholarships for kids to attend Summer Camp. We held a July 4 Pool Party that was so well-attended we had to run to the store to buy more hot dogs because we ran out. And, as I write this, we’re preparing for a whole lot of people to pack Kelley Cofer Park Pool for our very first Dive-In Movie.

I’ve been in the Parks and Recreation game a long time; longer than I’d care to admit. But as I look back on this summer, I can honestly say it has been one of my most enjoyable experiences watching our staff work hard to make these events happen. They’re doing it because they each recognize how beneficial a recreation program can be to a city. For children, for families, for anyone looking to get outdoors and make friends, these events are paramount to you getting the most out of where you live.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it is my privilege to lead a team that is so dedicated to making Tucker’s Parks and Recreation Department the best around. If we’re not at the top yet, we’re daggone close. Here’s looking forward to keeping that momentum going into the fall.