VALDOSTA – The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority wins two statewide awards for marketing and Special Olympics.

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The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority brought home two statewide awards at the Georgia Recreation & Parks Association Conference.  VLPRA earned a GRPA Marketing Award and the Special Olympics Georgia “Training for Life” Award.

Special Olympics Georgia awarded VLPRA Therapeutics their “Training for Life” Award for the agency’s contributions to Special Olympics athletes and programs.  VLPRA Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Sydney Prince manages the Therapeutic program that introduced Special Olympics Golf for local athletes and took several Special Olympians to compete in Alpine Skiing in North Carolina.  VLPRA also hosted State Special Olympics Fall Games at Freedom Park last month along with Lowndes County & Quiet Pines Golf Course.

VLPRA’s Marketing Department won “Marketing Campaign of the Year” for its Youth Football & Cheer Campaign.  Marketing & PR Director Jessica Catlett managed the promotional campaign, which resulted in three new leagues and an approximate 40% increase in overall participation.

Former Parks and Recreation Director Dave Christian was also recognized at the award ceremony, honoring him for being inducted into the GRPA Hall of Fame.  He was named to the prestigious Hall of Fame last year along with former Parks and Rec Director and former Valdosta City Manager Larry Hanson. 

GRPA gave out the awards last week in Athens, Georgia.