Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) recently announced its 2012 Annual Awards of Excellence winners. Locally, the City of Marion Aquatics Department won a 2nd place award in the Facility: $2,500,000 – Higher category for the Lincoln Park Family Aquatic Center.
The facility that beat out Marion for 1st place was the Cleveland Metro Parks’ $25 million dollar African Elephant Crossing.
The City of Marion opened the Lincoln Park Family Aquatic Center on June 6, 2012, replacing the dilapidated 30-plus year-old swimming pool. Lincoln Park, on the north side of Marion has been the location of a “swimmin’ hole” since at least the 1920’s. The Aquatic Center now features multiple slides, a lazy river, water walk, baby pool and diving boards, to name a few features.
The OPRA Annual Awards of Excellence was presented at a banquet hosted by the association on February 26, 2013 at Battelle Hall North at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
According to Woody Woodward, Executive Director of OPRA, the awards were judged in a two-tiered process, which included 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. Woodward says Ohio has become known as a trendsetter in the nation with parks and recreation often singled out for national test markets and pilot programs.
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