Peoria Park District Named Gold Medal Finalist

06/02/2010

For Immediate Release:

June 2, 2010

Peoria Park District Named Gold Medal Award Finalist

The Peoria Park District Board of Trustees has just been notified that the Peoria Park District has been selected as one of the final four candidates for the 2010 National Gold Medal Award.   The Gold Medal Award - considered the highest and most prestigious honor attainable by a park and recreation agency - is presented annually to communities throughout the United States for excellence in park and recreation administration by the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration, the National Recreation & Park Association, and Musco Lighting LLC.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the District has been a finalist. The Peoria Park District previously received the National Gold Medal Award in 1971, 1994 and 2001.  The District received finalist honors in 1971, 1979, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

The Peoria Park District was selected as a finalist in Class II (population 100,000- 250,000).  Four finalists are selected in each class from a field of several hundred nominees and based upon an extensive application form detailing the district's operations, progress, community service and acceptance, continuing development and extent of future planning over the previous five-year period.  The other three finalists in Class II include:  South Suburban Park and Recreation District, Colo.; City of Peoria, Ariz.; and City of Lakewood Department of Community Resources, Colo.

The criteria are as follows:

1) Has a long-range park and recreation plan been prepared and adopted for your agency, and how are you currently achieving it?  Describe in detail your agency success in achieving its long-range plan.

2) Compare your park and recreation funding sources, annual revenue, annual operating and capital expenditures and key measurements for the last five years.

3) Describe areas and facilities owned or leased by your agency. 

4) Describe unusual challenges that you have encountered in meeting change in your community within the last five years.  Share strategies you have implemented to address these challenges.

5) Describe two projects implemented in the last five years that are uniquely tailored to the recreation needs of your community and identify how your agency is enhancing such park, recreation, and conservation projects and services.

6) Describe your agency's efforts to promote stewardship best practices to include environmental and cultural protection, preservation and restoration.

7) List external professional involvements and/or previous forms of recognitions, awards and certifications received by your agency. Include staff/board involvement.

8) Describe new citizen support systems or advocacy programs that your agency has generated in the last five years that have benefited or improved your agency projects and/or programs.

9) How has your agency used technology to enhance communication and promotion of your programs, services and facilities?

10) What steps have you taken in the last five years to evaluate your agency's effectiveness and efficiency?

11) What does your agency do to address the needs of special populations?

Each finalist is then required to produce and submit a 12-minute video providing audio/visual demonstration of the material provided in the original entry for final judging for the Grand Award. 

The final selection for the Grand Award will be announced at the National Recreation and Park Association Congress to be held October 24-29 in Minneapolis, MN.

For more information about the Gold Medal Award, contact Bonnie Noble, Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, Peoria Park District at (309) 681-2804

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