Whitehall’s Community Park YMCA is the winner of the 11th Annual Governor’s Award for Parks and Recreation presented by Ohio Parks and Recreation Association.
“This project is an amazing example of the work that parks and recreation professionals do on a daily basis,” said OPRA Executive Director Woody Woodward. “The team in Whitehall identified a clear need in their community, they found a like-minded partner, and they created something that will change thousands of lives in their city for years to come.”
A modern community center was a decades-long goal in the City of Whitehall. But to build a sustainable operation in this diverse, low-income suburb—a creative partnership was necessary. Whitehall found such a partner in the YMCA of Central Ohio.
In order to truly serve the community, the Whitehall YMCA needed to emphasize programs like ESL classes, job readiness, and programming for Middle and early High School students in addition to fitness and wellness.
On November 22, 2019 the new, 25,600 SF Whitehall Community Park YMCA opened its doors. Features include:
- Teen Hub: Outfitted with study spaces, musical instruments, podcast studio, robotics lab, and gaming computers.
- 4,000 SF indoor artificial-turf field
- Teaching kitchen
- Community Hub: Combines adult-centric furnishings adjacent to kids’ activities.
The Governor’s Award was established in 2010 to recognize the one park and recreation program or project that has had the most significant impact on quality of life in the preceding year. The award winner was announced and the award presented at the Whitehall Community Park YMCA on April 28.
All thirteen winners of OPRA project, program, and event awards were considered for this statewide “best in show” award.
Officials from six statewide organizations formed the voting panel for the 2020 award. They judged the program and project winners based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated impact of the program or project on the community quality of life;
- The project or program is unique/innovative or presents a new way of doing something;
- The program or project addresses a felt need in the community and includes clear goals which are achieved; and,
- The program or project is utilized by the community and outcomes can be demonstrated.
In addition to the Governor’s Award trophy, Whitehall received a proclamation from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and a $500 contribution to their parks foundation.