Grand Prairie parks selected best in the America
View slide show for more photos of NRP Gold Medal award ceremony
© 2008 - Bob Fitch/GrandPrairieReporter.com
Grand Prairie today got good reason to celebrate. The Parks and Recreation Department was awarded the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Gold Medal Award for cities with a population of 100,000 to 250,000.
The National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal Award is the most prestigious award of its kind. It honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate: A large crowd of city officials, parks & recreation employees, and well wishers gathered at the Ruthe Jackson Center for a Gold Medal Announcement Party Wednesday morning to hear a live broadcast from the 2008 NRPA Congress & Exposition being held in Baltimore, Maryland. The live announcement was made possible with help from the Grand Prairie AirHogs and their broadcast communication equipment.
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national membership organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of more than 21,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources.
“This is super, super for Grand Prairie, Texas,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ruthe Jackson. “I have been here since 1931 and this is the most exciting national award the city has received in my memory.”
“The National Recreation and Parks Association Gold Medal Award is the highest award that any parks and recreation entity can win in America,” Parks and Recreation Director Rick Herold said.
To win the award he said, “It really starts with our grand citizens who really make parks and recreations a priority. It starts with our citizens voting for a sales tax, our community leaders who have the vision and said we want grand things, our partners, and of course our great staff for doing whatever it takes.”
Comments
Congratulations! What an honor. Having lived in Grand Prairie all my life, playing in most of the parks growing up, cutting my teeth on tennis rackets and lessons at recreation centers....this is just fantastic! Thanks for all the hard work you do to continue to make Grand Prairie the best place to live and play.
Posted by: Gail Cato | October 18, 2008 08:02 AM