Peoria Park District -
A Gold Medal Park District
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 in partnership with the National Recreation & Park Association and Musco Lighting LLC.
These awards honor communities that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition. Each agency is judged on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. A panel of five parks and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experiences and knowledge in parks and recreation on both local and national levels.
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.
After submitting a lengthy written application, the Peoria Park District was again selected as one of the final four candidates for the National Gold Medal Award in Class II (population 100,000– 250,000) in April 2009. Other finalists in this division included the City of Fort Collins Culture, Parks, Recreation and Environment, Colorado;City of Peoria, Arizona; and Fox Valley Park District, Illinois.
Finalists are required to produce and submit a 12-minute video providing audio/visual demonstration of the material provided in the entry application for final judging for the Grand Award.
Board members and staff attended the NRPA’s Annual Congress & Exposition in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13-16, 2009 in the hopes of bringing home another Grand Award. That honor, however, went to the Fox Valley Park District.
For a complete list of 2009 Gold Medal Award winners, check www.nrpa.org