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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. 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, and 2001. 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 2007. Other finalists in this division included Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Dept., TX; City of Westminster Department of Parks, Recreation and Libraries, CO; and Peoria Parks and Recreation Dept., AZ. Finalists were 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 NRPA's Annual Congress & Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 25 - 29, 2007 in the hopes of bringing home another Grand Award, but that honor went to City of Westminster Department of Parks, Recreation and Libraries, CO.
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