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The 2019 National Gold Medal Award in Parks & Rec Goes to MCCS Okinawa

Congratulations MCCS Okinawa!

MCCS Okinawa won the 2019 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), presented MCCS Okinawa with the award during the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference that took place September 24-26, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland.

MCCS Okinawa won the 2019 Grand Plaque in the Armed Forces Recreation Award category. Meeting the criteria set for this category included:

  • Exhibiting an outstanding Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program serving a unique installation
  • Proving the MWR program’s positive impact on the installation it serves, with five specific actions or activities undertaken during the previous three-year period
  • Showing at least one outstanding or innovative example of managing the MWR resources of public support, citizen involvement and staff engagement

This is the third time in five years that a Marine Corps installation has won this prestigious Parks and Recreation industry award, emphasizing MCCS’ commitment to providing effective recreational programs for Marines and their families to stay fit and sharp. MCAS Cherry Point won the award in 2017, and MCB Camp Pendleton received it in 2015. During a ceremony held on October 2, 2019 at Camp Foster’s Gunners Fitness Center to celebrate this win, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) Brigadier General William J. Bowers made the following remarks.

“We need to focus on developing world-class installations that will make assignment to MCIPAC a career-enhancing experience. The Indo-Pacific in which MCIPAC operates is a priority theater, and the ongoing support of MCCS to make our installations first-class places to live, work and operate for Marines, Sailors, civilian Marines and families is critical to achieving that objective.”

-- Brig. Gen. William J. Bowers

Watch MCCS Okinawa’s Gold Medal Finalist Video below to get a glimpse of just some of the effort put into the community that helped them achieve this honor.

 

More About the Gold Medal Awards Program

The Gold Medal Awards program began in 1965 and honors communities throughout the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental responsibility, and professional development, among other qualities. Candidates are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective effort of citizens, staff and elected officials. A panel of five park and recreation professionals – chosen for their experience and knowledge in parks and recreation at the local and national levels – reviews and judges all application materials.

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