Since 1985, July has been celebrated as the nation’s official Parks and Recreation Month. Created by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Parks and Recreation Month specifically highlights the essential and powerful role local parks and recreation professionals play in building vibrant, resilient communities across the country.
Throughout July, the City of Thomasville will highlight city-owned parks and the roles they play in bringing people together, providing essential services, and fostering healthy lifestyles and community growth.
“We look forward to highlighting some of our parks on social media through photos, videos, and interviews and introducing the community to our staff that works hard to keep our parks beautiful and inviting,” said Mike Owens, City of Thomasville’s Manager of Parks/Recreation & Golf.
Thomasville’s local parks provide people of all ages and abilities opportunities to achieve healthier lifestyles. The city’s continued partnerships with local organizations also promote park awareness and expose more people to park amenities. These partnerships include a Story Walk at Paradise Park with the Thomas County Public Library; a disc golf course at MacIntyre Park with Hands on Thomas County; golf instruction at Country Oaks Golf Course with the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys & Girls Club; and programming and maintenance partnerships with the Thomasville YMCA at Remington Park.
According to the NRPA’s 2022 Engagement with Parks Report, over 275 million people in the United States visited a local park at least once over the last year. In addition, 84% of U.S. adults seek high-quality parks and recreation when choosing a place to live, and nine in 10 people agree that parks are an important service provided by their local government.
Since the 2020 COVID pandemic, visits and memberships to local parks and recreation facilities have continued to rise nationwide. Locally, city-owned golf course Country Oaks has experienced a 65% increase in rounds and play.
“These statistics prove that our local recreational opportunities are important to our community,” said Owens. “We want to continue to make our parks appreciated and offer recreation opportunities that serve as valuable resources for Thomasville.”
City-owned parks will be highlighted throughout the month of July on the City of Thomasville’s Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofthomasville. For more information on Thomasville’s parks and recreation facilities, visit thomasville.org.