The Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) announced its 2015 Annual Awards of Excellence winners for the State of Ohio. Locally, the National Trail Parks and Recreation District (NTPRD) won 1st place in the Special Events category for the One Enchanted Evening Event and 2nd place in the same category for the Hunger Drive Games. The special event category had over 25 submissions from across the state for the award. In addition to the 1st and 2nd place wins. National Trail also won 3rd place in the permanent improvements over 1 million category for the Speedway Childrens Park which includes the Rotary ADA playground and Bethie's spray ground.
1st Place - Special Events Category - One Enchanted Evening was a community collaboration that allowed underprivileged and incarcerated youth from Project Jericho and the Juvenile Detention Center to work together with community organizations to enhance the iconic pumpkin carriage located in the park. The event drew over 6,000 participants for a magical night that included Cinderella and Prince Charming arriving at the park in a horse drawn glass carriage. They greeted the crowd, which included hundreds of little princesses, and unveiled the new elements of the park. The event also included free carriage rides, refreshments, arts & crafts and watching Disney’s Cinderella. The impact of One Enchanted Evening goes beyond this one night event. The revitalization of the pumpkin preserved memories for past generations. The addition of Cinderella and the horse pulling the carriage will provide even more opportunities for children and future generations to play and imagine that they are a prince or princess.
2nd Place-Special Events Category- The Hunger Drive Games provided a unique recreation program for the community, allowing participants to compete in an elimination-style game modeled after "The Hunger Games" series. National Trail partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank.
3rd Place-Permanent Improvement Category - Speedway Children's Park was a community-wide effort to revitalize the playground area of Snyder Park. From the efforts of the Rotary Club and Friends of Snyder Park over a million dollars was raised to add a ADA Playground and spray ground to Snyder Park.
The OPRA Annual Awards of Excellence was presented at a banquet hosted by the association on February 2, 2016 at the Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.
“Parks and recreation professionals throughout Ohio work every day to improve the quality of life of the people they serve,” said OPRA Executive Director Woody Woodward. “This effort is a shining example of that kind of work, and we are pleased to be able to present this award.”
The awards are judged by a panel of parks and recreation professionals from around Ohio.
Incorporated in 1963, OPRA is a non-profit, public interest organization representing over 1400 professionals and citizen board members striving to provide quality parks and recreation facilities and opportunities for all Ohioans while protecting and preserving Ohio's natural resources, positively impacting local economies and health and wellness of its citizens.
