The Peoria Park District received the National 2010 Gold Medal Grand Award at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress and Exposition in Minneapolis, MN.  The Gold Medal Grand Award – considered the highest and most prestigious honor attainable by a park and recreation agency – is presented annually to communities throughout the United States for excellence in park and recreation administration by the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration, the National Recreation & Park Association, and Musco Lighting LLC.

The Peoria Park District was selected as a finalist in Class II (population 100,000– 250,000).  Four finalists are selected.The other three finalists in Class II include: South Suburban Park and Recreation District, Colorado; City of Peoria, Arizona.; and City of Lakewood Department of Community Resources, Colorado.

Each finalist is required to produce and submit a 12-minute video providing audio/visual demonstration of the material provided in the entry application for final judging for the Grand Award.

Judges for the 2010 awards were nationally recognized authorities in the field of park and recreation management.