Andres & Maria Cardenas Recreation Center

Dedication Ceremony & Grand Opening

Panorama City - The Department of Recreation and Parks proudly dedicated the Andres and Maria Cardenas Recreation Center on March 9, 2009. Councilmember Tony Cardenas, General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, City Engineer Gary Lee Moore and community members were all in attendance for the special dedication. The ceremony included performances by the Panorama High School Band and Cheer Squad.

The 2,580-square-foot building features two multipurpose rooms, office space, a kitchen and storage areas. The $2.7 million project also includes a children's play area, public restroom facility, parking, landscaping and a family picnic area. Local residents now have over 30,000-square-feet of parkland to enjoy.

Immaculate Heart Community, a non-profit organization, and Casa Esperanza, a community- based organization, requested to re-name Blythe Street Park to the Andres and Maria Cardenas Recreation Center. The idea was supported by community members who agreed that the Cardenas' family story is representative of the neighborhood and its values of hard work and commitment.

Andres and Maria Cardenas came to California over 50 years ago from Mexico. Andres worked in the fields and as a laborer. Through hard work and perseverance he later established his own business. They proudly raised eleven children in a modest home in Pacoima, California and continously supported and encouraged them to succeed. Their children went on to earn degrees in fields, such as education, psychology and engineering.

Believing that no student should ever be denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams, the Andres y Maria Cardenas Family Foundation was established in 1997. The Foundation has embarked on an aggressive crusade to raise scholarship funds for needy and deserving students from the San Fernando Valley. In 1998 and 1999 the Foundation awarded over $25,000 in scholarships.

The Andres and Maria Cardenas Recreation Center was designed by the Architectural Division of the Bureau of Engineering in the City's Department of Public Works. Project funding came from Propositions K, 12 and 40. The facility was built by Tobo Construction, Inc., of Los Angeles.

The new center offers a variety of programs, including Pre-School, After School Care, Summer Camps and classes (e.g. karate, soccer, piano). It is located at 14740 Blythe Street, Panorama City 91402. For more information about the Department of Recreation and Parks please visit our website at http://www.laparks.org/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jane Kolb: (213) 202-2694

Amy Garcia: (213) 202-2689