O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Named 3rd Overall Winner in the Best in Show Agency Showcase by the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association
O’Fallon, Illinois – The City of O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department was recently honored by the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA) as the 3rd overall winner in the Best in Show Agency Showcase at the Annual IPRA Conference.
“It is a real honor for our Parks and Recreation Department to be recognized for their great work,” said Mayor Herb Roach. “We have always known that our Parks and Recreation Department is one of the best, and now people across the state know it as well.”
Each year, the IPRA honors outstanding parks and recreation systems throughout the State of Illinois. The awards are based upon how they measure up to the following specific criteria: working to improve the quality of life for their community through the delivery of exceptional park and recreation programs; going above and beyond the definition of professional standards for facilities and services; being acknowledged for having qualified, dedicated employees; and being recognized as a leader in the State of Illinois in the field of parks and recreation.
This year, the O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department was honored and featured as the 3rd overall winner in the Best in Show Agency Showcase, as well as, the only downstate park system to earn an award. The O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department was nominated for top awards in nine categories, and received awards in five of those nine categories.
In addition to the 3rd best overall winner in the Best in Show Agency Showcase, O’Fallon’s outreach and marketing efforts earned top honors. The email marketing campaign employed by the department was awarded 1st place, as the most outstanding and effective use of electronic communications.
The O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department partnered with a marketing firm, THE FOURCE GROUP, to create and deploy over 63 email campaigns in the last year to promote parks and recreation programs, which helped to increase enrollment by 28% in 2017.
In addition, the social media campaign and outdoor advertising campaign were named as the 3rd best, for their innovative and cost-effective methods for reaching today’s busy families to promote the department’s sports, recreation, and educational programs.
“We have spent over 14 years building a Parks and Recreation Department that serves the needs of our families,” said O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Director Mary Jeanne Hutchison. “Receiving these honors from IPRA reflects O’Fallon’s leadership in providing superior world class services to the residents we serve.”
O’Fallon has a great deal to be proud of and serves as an example of how a community of any size can provide the best in class facilities, programs, and outreach to their community,” said Debbie Trueblood, Executive Director of IPRA. “Because of their leadership, other park systems will be able to learn how to best reach their residents and increase participation in recreation and park programs.”
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mary Jeanne Hutchison at 618-624-4355 or email at [email protected].