Florence Marina State Park at Lake Eufala in west Georgia (photo courtesy Baba1948)

Three Georgia parks are in the running to be named "America's Favorite Park." But they need your help! Vote today for your favorite.

ATLANTA, GA., July 20, 2011 -- Three of Georgia’s State Parks – Little Ocmulgee, Amicalola Falls and Florence Marina -- are currently in the Top 10 list vying to be named “America’s Favorite Park” and win a $100,000 grant. The contest is part of the America Is Your Park campaign which encourages families to get active outdoors.

Click here to see the voting website.

Americans will decide which park wins by voting at Coca-Cola’s LivePositively.com website, uploading photos and videos of their favorite park, and checking in via Facebook Places. In addition to the top park receiving a $100,000 recreation grant, Coca-Cola will also award $50,000 and $25,000 to second- and third-place parks. These grants will help restore, rebuild or enhance recreation areas where people can play and be active.

“We are so excited about this contest and what the grant money could mean to our visitors,” said Georgia State Parks Director Becky Kelley. “If everyone in Georgia took the time to vote and rallied their friends and family to do the same, we have an excellent chance of winning. The money could be used for hiking trails, fishing docks, picnic areas or any number of projects that our visitors could enjoy for years to come.”

While the contest is open to any national, state or local park, it was a smaller state park in Minnesota that won last year. Bear Head Lake State Park received more than 1.6 million votes and beat out hundreds of other parks for the title of “America’s Favorite Park.” Their visitors helped spread the word, conducted voting drives and energized online social networks to beat out even Yellowstone and Grand Canyon national parks.

Georgians can learn about their state parks at GeorgiaStateParks.org then vote at LivePositively.com. Citizens can vote as many times as they wish until the contest ends September 6, 2011. Fans of Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae, Ga., have been organizing Facebook “power votes” where they encourage friends to log on at specific times of the day. Amicalola Falls State Park in the north Georgia mountains has been soliciting votes through Appalachian Trail websites, and supporters of Florence Marina State Park in southwest Georgia have been spreading the word as well. All three are currently in the Top 10.

The America Is Your Park initiative was developed in collaboration with the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

Park Information: www.GeorgiaStateParks.org