Many people who live, work or play in Castle Rock would say the Town has great parks and recreation facilities and programs.

But is the Town's Parks and Recreation Department deserving of the most distinguished national award a parks and recreation agency can receive?

The Town will find out in October.

The Castle Rock Parks and Recreation Department last week was named a finalist for the National Recreation and Parks Administration's 2008 Gold Medal Award.

"This is a tremendous honor for our staff, (Parks and Recreation) Commission, volunteers and an overall tribute to the confidence that the community has in us to provide park and recreation services in a small Town that values an active and healthy lifestyle and environmental conservation," said Town Parks and Recreation Director Rob Hanna.

The Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition.

The Town Parks and Recreation Department earlier this year submitted a comprehensive review and assessment of the department's funding, staffing, resources, programs and accomplishments in pursuit of the award. It was named one of four finalists for the award in Class IV, which consists of communities with populations between 25,000 and 50,000. The medal is awarded annually to four classifications based on population.

As a finalist, Castle Rock will be submitting a 12-minute video and master plan for consideration by a panel of five parks and recreation professionals. The judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both local and national levels.

Each agency is evaluated on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of residents, staff and elected officials.

This year's Gold Medal Award winners will be announced Oct. 14 during the National Recreation and Parks Administration's Annual Congress & Expedition in Baltimore, Md.

All three other Class IV finalists are in Illinois - the Carol Stream, Elmhurst and St. Charles park districts. Last year's Class IV winner was Westerville, Ohio.

It is highly unusual that a first-time applicant like Castle Rock makes it to final four, said Jeff Brauer, the Town's assistant parks and recreation director.

"The Illinois agencies are all either previous Gold Medal winners or multi-year Gold Medal finalists, so we are being compared to some high-performing organizations," he said.

The 2008 Gold Medal Awards are presented by the American Academy of Park and Recreation Management in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. Musco Lighting sponsors the awards.

Questions? Contact Hanna, 303-814-7444 or rhanna@CRgov.com.

Kristin Zagurski is a Community Relations Specialist for the Town of Castle Rock.