On September 10th, it was announced that Elmore State Park was the recipient of this year’s Forest, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) Park of the Year award for Region IV. This is the first time the park has won the award during Elmore’s eighteen year history and also the first time a VYCC-run park has won in Region IV!

There were many contributing factors to Elmore’s success during this 2009 season: the decisive leadership of the Park Rangers Chris Brader and Tiffany Soukup, the high profile visitor programming that reached over 1,500 campers led by Park Educators Anthony Christiano and Travis Quetel, and the hard work and attention to detail of the seven Crew Members throughout the summer. All of these points came together to the backdrop of supportive Headquarters staff in Richmond and friendly FPR regional supervisors.

The single most important theme that set Elmore above the rest, however, was the crew’s ability to find the fun in their work. They garnered such a positive reaction from visitors that they received over three hundred praise-filled comment cards, upbeat word of mouth publicity, and high attendance numbers at park events. It was obvious to everyone that they were hard working and quick to laugh, truly exemplifying the spirit of the Youth Corps at its best. Winning Region IV Park of the Year for 2009 is a true lesson in how hard work can pay off and an experience that the Elmore crew can take with them for the rest of their lives.

Thanks for a great 2009 Summer Season,
The Elmore Crew