Provo Parks and Recreation has been named Best in the Nation! 🏆 They've been honored with the prestigious Grand Plaque in the 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! 👏👏👏
The judges were impressed with our well-balanced and diverse physical resources, including our recreation center, performing arts facility, parks, golf course, ice rink and programs. Not surprisingly though, it was Provo’s community engagement and support that was and will always be a key factor in our success.
All Provo citizens are invited to Share the Gold with a community celebration this Wednesday, October 6 at 10:00 am at the “Provo Strong” sign at the Provo Recreation Center, 320 West 500 North. The first 100 kids will receive a gold medal of their own!
Gold Medal Awards Program
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.
Applications are separated into six classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces, and one for state park systems. To receive the Grand Plaque, the agency first had to be designated as a Finalist in their class. There are four (4) Finalists in each class.
Provo City Parks and Recreation received the Grand Plaque in the Class III category for populations of 75,001 to 150,000.
Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both the local and national levels. This year’s Grand Plaque recipients were announced at the 2021 National Recreation and Park Association Conference, held in person and virtually in Nashville, Tennessee, September 21st.
For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org.