General Session kicks off Congress.

More than 2,500 people attended NRPA's Opening General Session during its Congress & Exposition in October. The crowd filled the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Ballroom on Wednesday, Oct. 13, to hear from NRPA's officers, the keynote speaker and the announcement of the winners of the National Awards, Rose Awards, Dorothy Mullen Arts and Humanities Award, and the National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. (For more details on the Gold Medal Award winners, please see page 44).

One of the highlights of the multi-media presentation involved Chairman of the Board David O. Lose announcing NRPA's recent partnership with Dodge and Sports Illustrated magazine for the "Good Sports" program, which will continue NRPA's efforts in fostering youth development through sports (see story on page 46).

"Whether we're looking to get children off the streets or off the couches, or to improve their opportunities as adults, we want to make a bigger difference. Whether we're working to raise awareness about health and wellness, or educate the public on the importance of trail systems and parklands--we want to make a bigger difference," Lose says in his remarks.

The Good Sports program is the result of a year-long partnership with Sports Illustrated magazine for Sportstown USA, which chose one park and recreation department from each state that was the pinnacle example of success in improving the lives of its community. "The Sportstown campaign demonstrated exactly how powerful and effective national partnerships can be in sharing the importance of parks and recreation with the public," says NRPA President Jim Donahue. "This past year, NRPA's strategic partnerships across sports and health supported local program grants in the amount of $750,000. NRPA engaged nearly 150 park and recreation agencies in research initiatives that document the capacity of parks and recreation to improve youth sports and promote healthy lifestyles."

Another partnership announced during the Opening Session was Kraft Foods funding an NRPA study to examine ways to increase intercultural understanding among park managers and African American and Latino users of parks.

A creative partnership is just one way park and recreation agencies can reach out to their community. According to keynote speaker Dot Richardson, providing opportunities for youth to be involved in physical activity is the gift that keeps on giving throughout their lives. "Let us stand strong in what we do to make a difference in everybody's life ... to be more physically active," Richardson said. "It's about a child learning life lessons through sports."

Richardson received two Olympic gold medals as part of the US Olympic Women's Softball Team, which won in both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. Since retiring from competitive athletics, Richardson set her sights on a career as an orthopedic surgeon. She is the recipient of the 2002 Flo Hyman Award presented by the Women's Sports Foundation, and in June 2002, she was named vice chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which advises the administration on how to encourage more Americans to be physically active.

"It's amazing what recreation and parks can do for us," Richardson said. "You are making a difference, you are impacting this country and I applaud you."

Richardson's inspirational speech on the great influence park and recreation agencies have on society fit perfectly with the overall theme of the evening--to recognize the hard-working professionals for their endless efforts. The National Gold Medal Awards succeed in doing just that. Co-sponsors Greg Hege, CEO and president of Porter Athletic Equipment Company; and Joe Crookham, president of Musco Lighting, presented the winners of the coveted Gold Medal Awards (see page 44 for listing).

The closing of the Opening Session with the climactic announcement of these winners was followed by the lively Welcome Social. For photos of these and other events from Congress, see pages 46-49.