Florida State Parks staff joins Florida Power & Light staff to unveil a new tram at Oscar Scherer State Park.
Florida State Parks staff joins Florida Power & Light staff to unveil a new tram at Henderson Beach State Park.
Henderson Beach State Park and Oscar Scherer State Park each receive new accessible trams through $45,000 grant
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, April 12, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Henderson Beach State Park in Destin and Oscar Scherer State Park near Sarasota have each received a new, accessible electric tram as the result of a generous grant from Florida Power & Light (FPL).
The $45,000 grant, made available through FPL’s charitable arm, the NextEra Energy Foundation, directly funded two trams and further increased FPL’s commitment to accessibility in Florida’s award-winning state parks. FPL has previously funded accessible trams at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park (North Palm Beach) and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (Fort Lauderdale).
“These trams have been immensely popular, and we are thrilled to see them added to service in the Florida Panhandle and Southwest Florida,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “We want every visitor to have an amazing experience when they visit our state parks, and we appreciate Florida Power & Light for being such a dedicated partner in the pursuit of this goal.”
Each park is receiving a MotoEV Electro Neighborhood Buddy – a six-passenger wheelchair-accessible tram that can accommodate those with mobility challenges who use wheelchairs, motorized scooters or other mobility devices. Each tram features a four-kilowatt AC motor that can travel up to 50 miles on a single charge. The trams will help to reduce both emissions and engine noise and operate at an average cost of about one cent per mile.
“Florida is blessed with beautiful beaches and state parks that should be enjoyed by everyone,” said Kate MacGregor, FPL vice president of environmental services. “FPL is honored to fund these trams to help all Floridians and visitors to more easily access these popular outdoor destinations and enjoy their unique natural surroundings in a sustainable way.”
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The Florida State Parks Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its 175 award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.
It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy. This project is being completed through the Florida State Parks Foundation Services LLC, which is a limited liability company affiliate of the Foundation.
The volunteer Board of Directors represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.
Tim Linafelt
Florida State Parks Foundation
+18505666118 ext.
email us here
