OPRA Awards 2013

2013

Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) has announced its 2013 Annual Awards of Excellence winners and a number of local agencies have been recognized.

Great Parks of Hamilton County won second place in the Partnership category for the collaboration of Great Parks and the Great Parks Foundation with REI retail outfitter. The partnership is helping to connect people in greater Cincinnati to the outdoors through volunteerism, education and recreation.

Great Parks won third place in Marketing Innovation for the organizations rebranding initiative, when the Hamilton County Park District officially became Great Parks of Hamilton County in June 2013. The new name and identity help to unify the family of parks, conservation efforts and wide-range of outdoor offerings.

Great Parks won third place in Programs in Sports for the 5 and 6-Hole Golf Leagues, an extension of the PGA of America’s Golf 2.0 Strategic Plan, which encourages player-development programs to help grow the game among men, women, teens and children.

The OPRA Annual Awards of Excellence will be presented during the 2014 OPRA Conference on February 2-5, 2014, at the Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio. The awards are judged in a two-tiered process, which includes a panel of parks and recreation professionals from around Ohio, as well as, the association’s Board of Directors.

Incorporated in 1963, the OPRA is a non-profit, public interest organization representing over 1300 professionals and citizen board members striving to provide quality parks and recreation facilities and opportunities for all Ohioans while protecting and preserving Ohio’s natural resources, positively impacting local economies and health and wellness of its citizens. Ohio has become known as a trendsetter in the nation with parks and recreation often singled out for national test markets and pilot programs.