Award-Winning Provo Rec Center Celebrates 10 Years!

The more than 1.8 million annual visitors to the award-winning Provo Recreation Center may not remember that just ten years ago, Provo was operating recreation in a part-time, shared facility with the Provo School District. What a difference a decade can make!

Citizens overwhelmingly supported the $39 million center to fulfill unmet community needs with its 162,000 square feet of recreation. This success was a key reason in Provo Parks and Recreation being named best in the nation. Provo City brought home the prestigious Grand Plaque after winning the 2021 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors local park and recreation agencies, military recreation programs, and state park systems in the United States who demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition.

The Provo Recreation Center was built to grow with the community while providing options for all. The center includes childcare and a well-attended senior center. The indoor swimming pools include a lazy river, a tree house fort for kids, both indoor and outdoor water slides, and a rock wall with cliff diving. Those using the expansive second floor fitness facility can view the action from the lower basketball and racquetball courts.

It’s gratifying to see the positive impact our health focus has had on our community. Ten years later, we continue protecting their investment by adding new amenities and preserving our existing facilities with a ‘New Forever’ maintenance attitude.

We are marking the 10th anniversary of Provo's Recreation Center and residents are encouraged to join in the celebration all week long!

Weeklong activities include:

• Tuesday — Author meet and great at 2:30 p.m.; diamond dive at 4 p.m.

• Wednesday — Free root beer floats in a Rec Center cup at 3 p.m.; Foam Spectacular at 5:30 p.m.

• Thursday — Senior paint-along at 1:30 p.m.; free birthday cake from 5-7 p.m.; cake eating competition at 6 p.m.

• Friday — Fitness extravaganza at 6 a.m.; free popcorn at 2 p.m.; cannonball competition at 4 p.m.

• Saturday — Pickleball tournament at 8 a.m.; local vendor and children entrepreneur markets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Child Watch meet and greet from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Provo Is the Center of Medical Care and Training

Provo has unique offerings that make our city a hub for medical training. From medical education to medical care, Provo is at the forefront. This creates a dynamic environment and culture in Provo that makes not only this city but also the state of Utah and beyond a better place to live.

One of our four Provo Pillars is Safe and Sound. We take that responsibility seriously, with an essential component being medical care. Not only does our award-winning regional hospital meet community medical needs, but with BYU’s nursing program and a new medical college, we are training the next generation of caregivers.

Medical care is ‘alive and well’ in Provo. Take a look at the highlights in our ‘By theNumbers’ graphic.

While nestled in the heart of Provo, Utah Valley Hospital provides quality healthcare to the broader region, from the Point of the Mountain to Cedar City. With 3,400 employees, Utah Valley Hospital makes Provo an essential asset to the health and stability of our region. Watch CEO Kyle Hansen, explain why Utah Valley Hospital is a valuable Provo Advantage.

Change your viewpoint of Provo healthcare by viewing drone footage of our various medical education facilities.

The Provo community doesn’t rest on its laurels. Having great access to healthcare services isn’t enough. In Provo, we are building an employment pipeline so our future medical needs will be met with the next generation of well-educated doctors.

Norm Right, President and CEO at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine speaks highly of the high-quality medical opportunities in Provo.

Exceptional medical care doesn’t happen without the exceptional practitioners who provide it. One of Provo’s finest medical providers, Dr. Melissa Kendall, was awarded with the 2023 Trailblazer Award and shares her thoughts on the community she has long served.

And finally, are you aware that Provo has the only School of Optometry in an 11-state western & midwestern area, and that Rocky Mountain University offers 18 Master and Doctorate degrees? For more great information on medical care and training in Provo, check out our White Paper.

Each month this award-winning e-blast looks at another significant advantage of this community and why Provo is considered exceptional. The Provo Advantage has covered topics from being a Center of Innovation and Creativity, to having a Dynamic Downtown, to being a Center of Education, to being a Hub for Startups, to having an Exceptional Quality of Life. Visit provoadvantage.com to check out the many advantages we have already highlighted.

Kaufusi's Keikis 🌺

I am a Provo girl born and raised. What most people don’t know is that I was one of seven children being raised by a single mother living in survival mode. It was only through a caring community that my trajectory was improved, leading to opportunities and success.

To give back to the Provo community that helped raise me, I am proud to announce Kaufusi’s Keikis, a free health outreach program to provide all elementary-aged children with potentially life-saving annual screenings.

Through a partnership with Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Provo School District, medical students will begin providing free, in-school, opt-in health screenings at three of our local, Title 1 elementary schools this fall. Noorda-COM will also provide supplemental resources for families needing guidance on follow-up care for their children.

Our new city mission statement is ‘Exceptional Care for an Exceptional Community. Seeing community partners coming together for the health of our children is an ideal example of our mission statement in action.

Kaufusi’s Keikis will be funded through private donations, sponsorship gifts, and donated time and service. Additionally, sponsorship funds from the annual Provo Advantage Pro-Am golf tournament will be used to help launch the health outreach program. Our Provo Advantage golf tournament has grown each year, attracting economic development influencers from across the state. As we expand to a two-day, three-round Pro-Am tournament, our hope is to enlist our economic partners in this valuable community cause.

Provo’s children are our number one priority. Through this program, our goal is to serve every single one of them—regardless of background or situation.