Mobile Recreation Van Brings Sports and Play to Altadena Children as Local Parks Remain Under Repair

Dozens of Altadena children spent the first weekday of summer break Friday at the Bob Lucas Memorial Library & Literacy Center, where a mobile recreation program brought sports equipment, lawn games, music and an appearance by Sam the Olympic Eagle — the official mascot of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The free June 5, 2026, event was a stop by Park on the Move, a Super Bowl LVI legacy program operated in partnership by the Los Angeles Super Bowl LVI Host Committee, the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Play Equity Fund. The program has concentrated recent activities in Altadena while the community’s parks remain under repair following the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 19 people in and around the foothill community north of Pasadena.

Under sunny skies, youth enjoyed interactive games, playground sports and recreational activities designed to promote active play and community connection, according to a press release issued Monday by LA County Parks and the Play Equity Fund. At the library, at 2659 N. Lincoln Ave., trained LA County Parks staff set up a steppingstone obstacle course, balls, hula hoops and lawn games. Children played Connect Four, Giant Jenga, ring toss and tether ball.

The Park on the Move van functions as a playground on wheels, carrying recreation gear to neighborhoods that lack park access. The program launched as a community legacy of Super Bowl LVI, played February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The release said Park on the Move has held events across Los Angeles in what it described as a “block party” atmosphere, designed to advance play equity by removing barriers to participation.

The press release said the program “has focused on supporting the Altadena community during this challenging time as local parks are being repaired” and “promotes joy and community well-being through play, and by building connectedness.”

“The Park on the Move program shines a bright light on what a lasting community legacy can look like, while also celebrating the remarkable spirit and resilience the community of Altadena has demonstrated,” Renata Simril, President of the Play Equity Fund, said in the press release. “The Park on the Move program brings to life the healing power of sports and playing together. I am grateful for our partners at LA County Parks and Recreation for helping build connections in the Altadena community.”

Norma E. García-González, Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, said in the release that mobile playground experiences “can lead to improved social skills and provide positive outlets to relieve stress and heal from trauma.”

“The Eaton Fire continues to impact children and families after the disaster,” García-González said. “After losing homes, places of worship, schools and parks, many youth no longer have a community connection to their friends and neighborhoods. Rejuvenating children’s social and recreation ties can help with long term healing.”

Loma Alta Park, one of the Altadena parks damaged by the fire, reopened in May 2025 following a partnership-funded restoration. Other neighborhood recreation spaces remain in various stages of repair. Play dates can be scheduled by emailing MobileRecreation@Parks.lacounty.gov.