Vernon Hills Park District Is Finalist For National Award

Press release from the Vernon Hills Park District:

May 27, 2020

Vernon Hills Park District to compete for prestigious honor in the park and recreation industry

Vernon Hills IL., May, 2020 – The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce Vernon Hills Park District as a finalist for the 2020 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 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 separated into six classes, with five classes based on population and one class for armed forces. Vernon Hills Park District is a finalist in Class V category, population less than 30,000.

For nearly 50 years, the Vernon Hills Park District continues to bring memorable experiences and enjoyment to all ages through diverse programming promoting healthy lifestyles. Today the District encompasses five facilities, ten miles of recreational paths, and twenty-five parks situated on 460 acres of land. Through the collaborative efforts of the Park Board, professional staff, generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers, the District is an award recipient of the 2019-2024 Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency Award.

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. Vernon Hills Park District joins three other finalists in their class that will compete for grand honors this year.

Park Board President David Doerhoefer states – “The Vernon Hills Park District is excited and honored to be an NRPA Gold Medal Finalist and we look forward to sharing our story and successes with park and recreation agencies across the country”.

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

This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors this summer, and the six Grand Plaque recipients will be announced during the 2020 NRPA Conference, which will be held virtually in October.

The presentation of both the Finalist and Grand Plaque recipients is being finalized and details will be forthcoming on the virtual conference website .

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

This press release was produced by the Vernon Hills Park District. The views expressed here are the author's own.