Gold Medal

2024 Gold Medal WINNER!

Dickinson Parks & Recreation is extremely excited and honored to be named the 2024 National Gold Medal Award Grand Plaque Award Winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

This prestigious award honors public park and recreation agencies that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with fiscally sound business practices.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We are proud of the work we do to provide parks and recreation services that truly make for a better quality of life and we would not be successful without the support of the Dickinson and Stark County community.

We appreciate the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) for this incredible opportunity, as well as MUSCO Lighting for their generous sponsorship. This achievement would not be possible without their support.

Why do we celebrate Parks & Recreation Month?

  • Since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — that maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.
  • Through efforts by NRPA, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an official resolution for Park and Recreation Month in 2009, and introduced the resolution in 2017 and 2018.
  • Park and recreation agencies across the nation are recognizing the month with summer programs, events, contests, commemorations and celebrations.
  • The services that park and recreation professionals provide are vital for our communities — from protecting open spaces and natural resources to helping fight obesity and providing activities and resources for all people.
  • Park and Recreation Month encourages everyone to reflect on the exponential value park and recreation professionals bring to communities.
  • It’s time to share why local parks and recreation is Where Community Grows! NRPA encourages everyone who supports parks and recreation to share how it has improved their community on social media using #WhereCommunityGrows.
  • For more information, visit nrpa.org/july.

Grand Plaque Recipients Announced at the 2024 National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation

The premiere award in the park and recreation industry, awarded to Armed Forces Installations and Local Agencies.

Lacey, Washington, October 11, 2024– The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce the Grand Plaque recipients in the 2024 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC is proud to continue sponsoring the Gold Medal Awards program as it has been for more than 20 years.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are comprised of six classes, with five classes based on population and one class for armed forces.

The following agencies received the Grand Plaque award after first receiving the Finalist award:

  • Class I (population 400,001 & over): Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Class II (population 150-001 to 400,000): South Suburban Park and Recreation District, Littleton, Colorado
  • Class III (population 75,001 to 150,000): City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation, New Braunfels, Texas
  • Class IV (population 30,001 to 75,000): Douglasville Parks and Recreation, Douglasville, Georgia
  • Class V (population under 30,000): Dickinson Parks and Recreation District, Dickinson, North Dakota
  • Armed Forces Category: Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff members and elected officials. Each of these agencies first received the Finalist Plaque in their category. For the Grand Plaque round of judging, each Finalist had to submit a five-minute video which supports their application, and the judges reviewed progress on the agency’s strategic plan.

A panel of five park and recreation professionals judged all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge of parks and recreation on both the local and national levels.

For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit nrpa.org/goldmedal or aapra.org.

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