2024 OPRA Awards of Excellence Submissions

OPRA and the Awards Committee Co-Chairs have received numerous requests over the years to have access to the awards submissions after judging has been completed. Click on the links below to access each submission’s folder to view the submission (files ending in 00), supporting materials, and pictures.
Capital Improvement: Up to $500,000

1st Place  |  Medina County Park District  |  Allardale Playscape

2nd Place  |  Licking Park District  |  Infirmary Mound Park - Nature Playscape

3rd Place  |  Geauga Park District  |  Troy Wetlands

MetroParks of Butler County  |  Timberman Ridge Enhancement Project

Centerville-Washington Park District  |  Activity Center Park Sprayground Renovation

Cincinnati Parks  |  The Capitoline Wolf

Cleveland Metroparks  |  Karen's Way Play Space

City of Dublin  |  Brown-Harris Cemetery Renovation

Five Rivers MetroParks  |  2nd Street Market Solar Project

Friendship Park District  |  Friendship Park Adaptive Kayak Launch

Henry County Park District  |  Miami & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

Independence Parks & Recreation  |  City of Independence Freedom Playground

Massillon Parks & Recreation  |  Wampler Park Pickleball Courts

Mill Creek MetroParks  |  MetroParks Farm Cross Country Course

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Malabar Farm State Park Visitor Center Exhibit Space

Springdale Parks & Recreation  |  Underwood Park Revitalization

Metroparks Toledo  |  Glass City Metropark - Ravine Area Playground Replacement

Capital Improvement: $500,000 to $10 Million

1st Place  |  Mason Parks and Recreation  |  Adaptive Ballfields at Makino Park

2nd Place  |  Kettering Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts  |  From Vision to Zipline: Kettering's Gentile Nature Park Transforms Community

3rd Place  |  Miamisburg Parks & Recreation  |  Riverfront Park Improvement Project

City of Beachwood  |  Shaping Smiles, Sparking Joy: The Beachwood Playground

MetroParks of Butler County  |  Governor Bebb Bridge, Trail and Stream Improvements Project

Cincinnati Parks  |  Lytle Park

Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks  |  Blacklick Woods Canopy Walk

Erie MetroParks  |  Roger Johnson Nature Center

Great Parks  |  Great Parks Sharon Centre Outdoor Playground

Great Parks  |  Woodland Mound Fitness Equipment

Grove City Parks and Recreation  |  Grove City Town Center Stage

Kettering Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts  |  From Elementary School to Artistic Epicenter: Rosewood's Revolutionary Renovation

Miami Conservancy District  |  Lock 9 Park: A Riverfront Renaissance in Piqua, Ohio

Mill Creek MetroParks  |  Golf Indoor Player Development Center

Mill Creek MetroParks  |  Rehabilitation of Wick Recreation Center

City of Obetz  |  City of Obetz - Junction Park

Orange Township, Delaware County  |  Heroes Not Forgotten: Orange Township Veterans Memorial

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Little Miami State Park: O’Bannon Creek and Todd Fork Bridge Renovations

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Maumee Bay State Park Boardwalk Restoration and Bird Observation Deck PHASE 1

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Maumee Bay State Park Trautman Nature Center Renovation

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Van Buren State Park Upgrades

Sharonville Parks and Recreation  |  Gorman Park Redevelopment Project

Streetsboro Parks & Recreation  |  Streetsboro Community Center

Tallmadge Parks and Recreation  |  Howe Road Park Improvement Project

City of Toledo  |  Schneider Park Revitalization

Metroparks Toledo  |  Glass City Enrichment Center

Westerville Parks & Recreation  |  Westerville's Sycamore Trail Park

Worthington Parks and Recreation  |  McCord Park Renovation: A Story of Community-Driven Transformation

Capital Improvement: $500,000 to $10 Million

1st Place  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Great Council State Park - Ohio's 76th State Park

2nd Place  |  City of Madeira  |  McDonald Commons Renovation

3rd Place  |  Summit Metro Parks  |  Valley View: A Park Nearly 100 Years in the Making

Columbus Recreation and Parks  |  Warner Woods Park: Serving a Growing, Diverse Community

Mayfield Heights Parks & Recreation  |  Mayfield Heights Aquatic & Community Center

City of New Albany  |  Taylor Farm Park

Management Innovation

1st Place  |  Cincinnati Recreation Commission  |  Rec @ Nite

2nd Place  |  Fairborn Parks & Recreation  |  MVRAC Summer Staff Training

3rd Place  |  Cincinnati Parks Foundation  |  obLITTERators Volunteer Litter Removal Program

Cincinnati Recreation Commission  |  Bond Hill Park Improvements and Community Makeover Day 2024

Hilliard Recreation & Parks  |  Hilliard Leadership Corps

Hilliard Recreation & Parks  |  Project Splashlight

Miamisburg Parks & Recreation  |  Love Our City

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Streamlining Trail Data Collection, Mapping, and Kiosk Processes at ODNR

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Sustaining Tomorrow: Empowering the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders

Stark Parks  |  Stark County Park Forum

Metroparks Toledo  |  Metroparks Toledo Youth Conservation and Leadership Program

Marketing Innovation

1st Place  |  Great Parks  |  Great Parks Passport

2nd Place  |  City of Dublin  |  The Dublin Rec App

3rd Place  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Ohio State Parks 75th Anniversary: 75 Years of Making Memories in Your Ohio State Parks

Miami Township Recreation  |  Migrate to Miami Township

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Ohio Magazine Lodge Marketing Campaign

Preservation Parks of Delaware County  |  50th Anniversary Celebration Campaign

Natural Resources & Conservation

1st Place  |  Cincinnati Parks  |  The Cincinnati Conservation Stewards

2nd Place  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Headlands Dunes H2Ohio Coastal Wetland Restoration Project

3rd Place  |  Friendship Park District  |  Friendship Park Highwall Reclamation

Great Parks  |  E-waste Recycling Event with Cohen

Medina County Park District  |  Chippewa Lake Wetlands Restoration

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Indian Lake State Park Recovery: A Community-Centered Response to Natural Disaster

Reynoldsburg Parks & Recreation  |  Blacklick Creek Stream Restoration

Adaptive

1st Place  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  LightSound: An Adaptive Solar Eclipse Experience for All

2nd Place  |  Greene County Parks & Trails  |  Toad-ally Together:  Trolls Adventure and Dino Exploration

3rd Place  |  City of Powell  |  Intergenerational Inclusion: Memory Care Meetups

Ashland County Park District  |  Candy Cane Trail Adaptive Rides

Grove City Parks and Recreation  |  Grove City Adaptive Basketball Skills Camp

Lorain County Metro Parks  |  Tram Rides for All

Orange Community Education & Recreation  |  Parade the Circle Workshops & Performance

Metroparks Toledo  |  Metroparks Inclusive Programming

Environmental & Interpretive

1st Place  |  Kettering Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts  |  EcoFEST 2024: Cultivating Community Through Environmental Stewardship

2nd Place  |  Kettering Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts  |  From Saplings to Suds: Kettering's Innovative Approach to Urban Forestry Education

3rd Place  |  Reynoldsburg Parks & Recreation  |  Nature Adventure Day

Cleveland Metroparks  |  Euclid Beach STEM Adventure Camp

City of Dublin  |  Sustainable Saturday

Licking Park District  |  Wildflower Fairy Trail at Infirmary Mound Park

Miami County Park District  |  Date Night Challenge

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Aquatic Education Programming on the Lorena Sternwheeler at Dillon State Park

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Critter Life Jackets STEM Challenge at Maumee Bay State Park

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Dillon State Park’s Tiny Nature Explorations

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Headlands Birding Festival

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Hueston Woods’ Summer Partnership Events

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Naturalist's Nature Book Club at Dillon State Park

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Tree Hugging Competition at Lake Hope State Park

Prairie Township  |  Growing Green Gardening for Kids!

Metroparks Toledo  |  Metroparks Homeschool Series

Whitehall Parks & Recreation  |  Goats, Graze and Gather: Redefining Ecological Harmony

The Wilds  |  Wild About 4th Graders

Wood County Park District  |  Nurture the Nursery

Health & Wellness

1st Place  |  Columbus Recreation and Parks  |  VOICE: Breaking the Cycle of Violence

2nd Place  |  Cleveland Metroparks  |  Urban Line Dancing

3rd Place  |  Westlake Parks & Recreation  |  Westlake Community Run in Conjunction with Wellness & Safety Day

City of Dublin  |  Senior Small Group Training

Green Parks & Recreation  |  A Change of Art

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Wellness Weekend at Delaware State Park

Metroparks Toledo  |  Metroparks Toledo Wellness Therapy Dog Unit

Historical & Cultural Arts

1st Place  |  City of New Albany  |  New Albany Celebrates Diwali

2nd Place  |  Gahanna Parks & Recreation  |  Celebrating 175 Years of Gahanna

3rd Place  |  Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation  |  Stories of Resilience: Black History Journey Through the Arts

Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Park District  |  Sugarcreek Ski Hills Reunion

MetroParks of Butler County  |  Kestrel Shelter Community Mural

City of Dublin  |  Ancient Ohio Survival

City of Dublin  |  Moby Dick's Gone Missing' at Dublin Irish Festival

Hilliard Recreation & Parks  |  Hilliard History Express Camp

Miamisburg Parks & Recreation  |  The Blue Line Project

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Cultural Programming at Great Council State Park

Metroparks Toledo  |  Field of Histories Art Installation

Law Enforcement

1st Place  |  Greene County Parks & Trails  |  Junior Ranger Academy (10-17 year old)

2nd Place  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft Active Threat Response Training

3rd Place  |  Metroparks Toledo  |  National Night Out

Community Events

1st Place  |  Gahanna Parks & Recreation  |  Gahanna Senior Prom

2nd Place  |  Miamisburg Parks & Recreation  |  Riverfront Park Grand Opening

3rd Place  |  Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation  |  Changing the Culture of Athens Halloween Block Party: Uptown Family Friendly Halloween Block Party

Avon Lake Recreation  |  2024 Avon Lake Total Solar Eclipse

Bexley Recreation & Parks  |  Middle School Halloween Bash

City of Canal Fulton  |  Haunted Canal Boat Tours

Cleveland Metroparks  |  Cliffs Bike Park Pump Track Race

City of Dublin  |  DCSC Fall Festival

Geauga Park District  |  The Great Geauga Total Solar Eclipse

Great Parks  |  A Total Eclipse of the Park

Grove City Parks and Recreation  |  Grove City Back to School Kick-Off

Grove City Parks and Recreation  |  Labor Day Movie and Drone Show

Grove City Parks and Recreation  |  Lights on Afterschool

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Ohio State Parks and Watercraft Lodge Renovation Celebrations

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Mt. Gilead's Fall Festival in Partnership with the Morrow County Sheriff's Office Halloweenie Event

Ohio State Parks and Watercraft  |  Salt Fork’s Banjos & Bigfoot Bluegrass Festival

Sandusky Recreation  |  Total Eclipse of SUNdusky

Metroparks Toledo  |  Total Eclipse of the Park

Westerville Parks & Recreation  |  Spring Kids Maker Market

Wood County Park District  |  Wild Lights

Recreational Programs

1st Place  |  Columbus Recreation and Parks  |  APPS Job Readiness Program: A Pathway to Possibilities for Columbus Youth

2nd Place  |  Cincinnati Recreation Commission  |  Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s Free Ski and Snowboard Program

3rd Place  |  Greene County Parks & Trails  |  Babbling Bunnies (ages 6 to 23 months)

City of Dublin  |  Coding with Minecraft

Kettering Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts  |  Entrepreneur Camp: Fostering Innovation and Community Collaboration

Oxford Parks & Recreation  |  OPRD Player of the Week

Reynoldsburg Parks & Recreation  |  Livingston House Nighttime Tours

Sharonville Parks and Recreation  |  Camp Sharonville 2024

Washington Township RecPlex  |  Baking Buddies:  All the Ingredients for a Good Time!

Westerville Parks & Recreation  |  Westerville NHL Street Program