Each year the New York State Recreation and Park Society presents a series of awards that have become a coveted honor for the people and organizations singled out for their contributions to parks and recreation. These awards are an excellent opportunity to recognize the contributions of the variety of people who make New York's parks, recreation, and therapeutic recreation facilities work at their best. The awards are given at the Annual Awards Presentation, held each year during the NYRPS Annual Conference. Only current members of the New York State Recreation and Park Society are eligible to nominate qualified candidates. NYSRPS would like to see all of New York State represented in these awards and we rely on our membership to take a look around the office and community to nominate both the hardworking behind-the-scene organizers as well as our creative and inspirational leaders.
When preparing your nomination(s) for the NYSRPS awards, please be sure to include all of the following items:
Completed Nomination Form
Please list the “Nominee’s Name” as it will appear on the award if selected.
Be specific! Be sure to indicate if you are nominating an entire organization (i.e. Amazon, etc.) or a specific person from the organization.
Letter of Support from the Nominator
This should supplement or replace the “Reason for Nominating” section of the Nomination Form. Include how the nominee fits the award criteria and why you feel they should win. The more detailed information the better!
Additional Letters of Support
The more the merrier! Provide a variety of letters from writers who know the nominee in different ways to create the most complete packet.
All photos should be submitted in the PDF nomination packet.
Choose 3 – 5 of the submitted photos that can be used in the award slide show if selected. Please submit these photos in JPEG or PNG format in addition to the PDF nomination packet.
High-quality photos are preferred.
When nominating an individual, please include photos representing their involvement with parks, recreation, and leisure services.
Videos (if applicable)
Please submit any videos in a format compatible with Windows Media Player or provide a link to access the video on a video-sharing website (i.e. YouTube).
Regional Partners/Affiliates
If you are nominating a winner from your organization, simply add a completed NYSRPS Nomination Form to the existing packet before submitting. Please list which award they won from your organization under “Reason for Nominating.
Hall of Fame
The purpose of this special award is to posthumously recognize persons who lived or worked in the State of New York and have achieved prominence for their excellence in achieving outstanding and lasting contributions to the advancement of recreation and parks on the local, state, and/or national levels. Through this medium, we will pay tribute to these individuals so they may serve as shining examples and symbols for future generations.
Criteria for Memorial Hall of Fame Nominees:
Nominees will be considered for their contributions to the recreation and park field on the local, state, and/or national levels. These contributions should have of long-term impact on the recreation and park movement.
Nominees are to be residents of/or worked in the State of New York at the time of prominence.
No nominee will be considered until at least one year following their death. This is a posthumous honor. The name, biography, and photo of the honoree will be added to the Memorial Hall of Fame and displayed at the 2025 Annual Conference and all subsequent conferences and exhibitions.
