Centre County Celebrates Park and Rec Professionals

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette .

BELLEFONTE — The Centre County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation declaring Friday, July 19, as Park and Recreation Professionals Day in Centre County during the BOC meeting on Tuesday, July 16.

Tim Herd, CEO of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, spoke at the Tuesday BOC meeting, describing to commissioners the importance of commonwealth parks and recreation and the staff behind the scenes.

“When you go to a park, you expect it to be clean, safe and ready to use,” Herd explained. “When your family goes swimming, you expect that the lifeguards are well trained, and the water quality is just right. When your child or grandchild visits a playground, you know that it’s maintained to all safety standards. … What we all want and what we expect in our public spaces is provided by our park and recreation professionals.”

PRPS, founded in 1935, is a professional nonprofit member association for people who volunteer and work in parks and recreation throughout the state. The organization spearheaded the effort to recognize recreation and parks workers through Park and Recreation Professionals Day, which began in 2019 before becoming a nationally recognized celebration by the National Recreation and Park Society.

The 2024 Park and Recreation Professionals Day will be the sixth annual celebration. The holiday is typically observed on the third Friday in July during National Park and Recreation Month. This year it will be held on Friday, July 19.

“Normally hidden from view with action behind the scenes, with this one day a year, we’d like to recognize them and appreciate them for what they do for the good of the public and for the good of our quality of life,” Herd highlighted.

According to a study from the National Park and Recreation Association, 93% of adults say their mental health was improved by services offered by their local parks and rec program, noting that socializing with friends and family, spending time in nature and exercising were cited as the top three activities.

Not only did the BOC approve the proclamation to observe Park and Recreation Professionals Day in Centre County on Friday, July 19, but Gov. Josh Shapiro also signed a proclamation on Monday, July 1, declaring the day across the commonwealth.

According to the proclamation signed by Shapiro, “Pennsylvania is home to a wide variety of public lands that include more than 6,000 community parks, 121 state parks, 18 national parks, 2.2 million acres of forest, wildlife refuges, natural streams and wetlands, nature centers, gardens, beaches, trails, campsites, athletic fields, visitors’ centers and recreational facilities.”

Furthermore, the proclamation noted that 38.5 million guests enjoyed Pennsylvania’s outdoor industry in 2023 alone, which led to a more than $17 billion boost in the commonwealth’s economy and employed more than 164,000 workers.

“Park and recreation professionals preserve, maintain and improve resources through community-based facilities that support local economies and active lifestyles while promoting conservation through educational experiences,” the proclamation emphasized. “These dedicated workers supporting our park and recreational services include programmers, managers, maintainers, landscapers, facilitators, lifeguards, coaches, event organizers and many others who provide high-quality programming and ensure our facilities are safe, clean and ready to use.”

Centre Region Parks and Recreation is an agency of the Centre Region Council of Governments and is responsible for the regional parks and recreation services in the area. CRPR provides services to five of the six local municipalities including the State College Borough, College Township, Ferguson Township, Harris Township and Patton Township.

The Centre Region Parks System includes 56 regional facilities and parks with 836 acres maintained by CRPR through agreements with the local municipalities.

“I want to emphasize the extent to which parks are just integral to our communities and building communities. That by having these places for people to gather, you’re creating community,” Commissioner Vice Chair Amber Concepcion remarked at the BOC meeting. “The kind of programs that parks and recreation authorities provide are places where people come together from all walks of life to do things that are physically healthy and contribute to our well-being.”

The proclamation to recognize Park and Recreational Professionals Day in Centre County on Friday, July 19, was unanimously approved by the BOC and will also be observed across the commonwealth following Shapiro’s signing of the statewide proclamation.

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