South Carolina Recreation & Park Magazine Winter 2019

SOUTH CAROLINA

WINTER 2019

RECREATION & PARKS ASSOCIATION

HOW SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES ARE INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR PROGRAMMING Summer 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 1

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SOUTH CAROLINA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2019 Board of Directors

ADVERTISER INDEX

The Association Report.................................................................................5 Everyone Can Make a Difference............................................................. 6-7 #HeresWhatsHappening Snapshots........................................................ 8-9 2019 SCRPA Awards................................................................................ 10-14 Rec2Tech.................................................................................................. 16-25 Creating Spaces for Active Communities...........................................26-30

RECREATION & PARKS ASSOCIATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Doyle Best Town of Summerville

Secretary Laurie Helms City of Rock Hill

Eastern VP Nathan Dawsey Florence County

President Elect Kevin Stiens Spartanburg County

Treasurer Amy Evans Charleston County

Southern VP Shaniqua Simmons City of Orangeburg

Vice President Randy Woodard Charleston County

Past President T.J. Rostin City of Goose Creek

Western VP Ted Lambrecht Greenville County

Barrs Recreation............................................................................Back Cover Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment...............................................................7 Carolina Parks & Play....................................................................................31 Cunningham Recreation..............................................................................23 Most Dependable Fountains, Inc.................................. Inside Front Cover Pernsteiner Creative Group.........................................................................31 SCRPA 75th Anniversary..............................................................................15 SCRPA Magazine...........................................................................................18 SealMaster/SportMaster................................................................................3 Trident Construction................................................................................... 29 Wood + Partners Inc....................................................................................31

Central VP Shane Duncan Kershaw County

BRANCHES - 1 YEAR COMMITMENTS ELM Branch Jessica Campbell City of Aiken

RAP Branch Justin Steele Lexington County

PRM Branch Adam Scull City of Rock Hill

SCAP Branch Shawn Taylor City of Orangeburg

SC PRT Representative Matt Elswick South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Student Branch Kristen Miller Charleston County

SCRPA EXECUTIVE STAFF Executive Director James E. Headley jim@scrpa.org

Membership Services Coordinator Melissa Williams melissa@scrpa.org

SCRPA MAGAZINE/MARKETING COMMITTEE Bethany Doman Chair City of Charleston

Russell Price Central Rep Fairfield County

Pamela Davis Southern Rep City of Barnwell

Kristen Guilfoos Vice Chair Spartanburg County

Carlos Cue Eastern Rep Cheraw

Madeline Armstrong Western Rep Greenville County

South Carolina Recreation & Parks Association P.O. Box 1046, Lexington, SC 29071 (p) 803-808-7753 • (f) 803-808-7754 www.scrpa.org • info@scrpa.org To advertise in SCRPA magazine, contact Todd Pernsteiner at info@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111.

4 SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks • www.scrpa.org

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THE ASSOCIATION REPORT Doyle Best

Jim Headley

Happy holidays, SCRPA! It has been a tremendous year across our state, and we appreciate all you have done for our association, as well as for your agencies back home.

We had a great Joint Conference with North Carolina, and would like to thank all those who assisted in planning and working at the conference. A special “thank you” to Dustin Jordan (Conference Committee Chair) and his staff for volunteering throughout the conference, and to Jon Woodsby who chaired the education portion of the conference. Through their efforts (and many others), we were able to meet our education goals in addition to providing you opportunities to see some of the latest in products and services in the exhibit hall.

Beyond our annual conference, we had several other events take place to cap off our year • The CPSI course and exam was held October 9-12. We had 48 take the course and 50 professionals take the exam.

• The 17th Annual SCRPA Golf Tournament was held Thursday, October 24 at Orangeburg’s Hillcrest Golf Course. As you know, this is our only fundraiser for the association. We had over 20 teams participate and were able to meet our financial goals for the year.

• Unfortunately, our Senior Beach Retreat attendance was extremely low this year. While we may not have met our financial goals for the retreat, it was successful in meeting the other goals of the program.

• Many of our districts closed out the year with a final district meeting and workshop over the past few months. Thank you to all of our District VPs for their continued efforts to provide networking and educational opportunities for folks in their respective districts.

• Finally, our SCAP Branch hosted their annual Sports Management Institute in Hilton Head. The two-day conference was well attended and had excellent speakers and topics of discussion.

What’s Ahead As we look toward the New Year, there are many upcoming professional development opportunities for you and your staff to take part in.

• Obtain your Certified Youth Sports Administrators certificate on January 7 in Mecklenburg County NC. • Our PRM Branch’s 6th Annual Parks Maintenance Institute is scheduled for January 22 and 23, and is being held at IrmoChapin’s Saluda Shoals Park.

• The Programming Summit will be held February 26-28 at The Beach House in Hilton Head.

• The Southern Leisure Management and Trends Institute is scheduled for February 6 & 7 in Columbia’s Vista (edVenture for classroom and Aloft for Hotel) in Columbia.

It has been our pleasure to serve you this year, and we hope that you, your staff, and your families have a wonderful holiday season.

As always, if you should ever need anything, please never hesitate to contact a board member or the SCRPA office!

Yours in Public Parks,

Doyle & Jim

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 5

April further learned the family was in a quandary – the mom was out of work but couldn’t obtain work because she didn’t have a safe place for her children after school; nor was she in a position to afford it. April, always compassionate and proactive, immediately emailed her manager, Lawanda Curry, to see if there was some way they could provide assistance. Through a concerted effort, Greenville County Rec was able to accommodate the two students attending the Sterling School into its after-school program at PWCC and the student attending Stone Academy into its afterschool program at Brutontown Community Center. In doing so, not only will each of these children receive top quality care in reliable, safe environments, but their mom is now able to seek full-time employment opportunities.

April Jackson When Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism needed a manager for the newly reopened and massively renovated Phillis Wheatley Community Center building, veteran community center manager April Jackson was tapped for the challenge. She was just what the department was looking for - a leader who would work tirelessly to nurture and sustain the dynamic center, meet the needs of its vibrant community, and support the unique partnership between the Phillis Wheatley Community Center (PWCC) and Greenville County Rec. April has been an integral part of our Rec Family for almost 13 years and is known for her effective leadership, dedication, and optimistic disposition – as well as her ability to lead from the heart. She’s already making an impact in a significant way as the remarkable case below illustrates: Very early in this new school year, April noticed a parent from the nearby Sterling School was repeatedly parking in PWCC’s parking lot. April initially approached the parent and politely explained that we didn’t allow pass-through traffic or non-PWCC parking as it could create a safety hazard for our participants. Although the mom stated that she understood, April saw her parked there on a couple additional occasions and April again reached out to the parent to see if she needed assistance. At this point the mother explained that her car frequently overheated after being in the extremely long school pick up line. She further shared that she currently lived in a shelter in Anderson with her three children and that she drove them back and forth to each day to Greenville where two of her children have the opportunity to attend the Sterling School and participate in that school’s gifted and talented program while her third child attends Stone Academy. This mom, with a beautiful smile on her face, then looked at April and stated in the most positive, confident manner “my car still works, I just put water in it and keep driving. Despite my situation I’m blessed.”

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April is a shining example that we, as PRT professionals, are in the business of strengthening the fabric of our community by improving the lives of individuals within that community.

Through our dedication and the efforts we make each day, trajectories of lives can be changed – and brighter, more hopeful futures can be achieved.

Kevin Elliott Kevin Elliott is the League President for the Miracle League of Florence County. His wife Vickie Elliott is a board member as well.

Both of them have poured their hearts into this program which is without a doubt the pride of the Florence County Parks & Recreation Department. Their son Matthew is one of the athletes who have seen the Miracle League grow from just 17 participants 5 years ago to now over 160. The success of the league is a direct result of their hard work and leadership! As volunteers of Florence County Parks & Recreation, our department would like to thank and recognize the Elliott family for all they have done for our community.

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Oswaldo Tapia Oswaldo Tapia, better known as Waldo, grew up in the small town of Newberry, SC. A graduate of Newberry High School, he was recently recognized by the City of Newberry for five years of faithful service. Currently with Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Waldo is deeply invested in the Newberry community and works tirelessly to ensure that each task he takes on is done well and in a timely manner with consideration of how he’s impacting his hometown. As a PRT Services Specialist, Waldo oversees parks, buildings and facility maintenance activities. His day to day work involves safety inspections, ballfield preparation, plumbing, carpentry, masonry and general construction.

In addition to his duties as PRT Services Specialist, he regularly offers his time, effort and even superb cooking skills volunteering at many local functions and events. He can often be seen assisting at youth sporting events, local fundraisers, community festivals and anywhere else he can give back to the community that he has called home for so long.

Waldo has made it a point in his life to get to know anyone and everyone he encounters, and it couldn’t be more evident. He holds deep concern and care for those around him and is ready to offer a joke or smile to brighten another’s day. There is no task that Waldo will refuse as he embodies what it means to be a true team player. He would never seek the credit that he so richly deserves as he prefers to work behind the scenes making sure that the minor details of any simple task or major event are satisfied with equal measure. Waldo proudly calls Newberry his home and represents that in his daily actions.

He takes pride in making Newberry a great place to live, work and play and his team members are proud of him for it. The growth of a small town has not been without the impact of a modest, yet noteworthy soul. Without Waldo, the City of Newberry PRT would not be the same.

, today k c o t In s to ship y d a e r row! tomor

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WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 7

#HeresWhatsHappening ut!

Get O ville n Gr e e

The Lan gley Pond Nav y par tnered with Aiken Cou nty Parks, Recreation and Tou rism and volu nteered a few members to help clea n and cut stumps for the row ing cou rse at Lan gley Pond and Horse Creek Water Tra il.

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env il le, a Get Out! Gre ation of u n ique celebr tdoors, al l th in gs ou than served more th is year le op 2,700 pe inued to and has cont ag ious spread a cont oor love for outd m il ies Fa s. ie activ it cl imbi n g, ca n tr y rock cl in g, pa dd li n g, cy so much d an g ru n n in F R EE more at th is ou nty R ec Greenv il le C promotes festival that tive a hea lthy, ac y. it n u com m

Cleaning u p in Langley P on d

Snapshots of programming in South Carolina Recreation & Park Association member organizations.

Huck Finn Fishing Festival in Charleston

e City of Charleston On September 28, th rtment South Ca rol ina Depa pa rtnered with the al nu an s and hosted its of Natu ra l Resou rce ial lon Co hin g Festiva l at Huck Fin n Youth Fis and t ou me and fam ilies ca La ke. Over 100 kids h were caug ht! a record nu mber of fis

A visit to an apple orchard in Spartanburg County

One of Sparta nburg County’s 50+ groups visited a local apple orchard for some fall fun!

Jedi Fencing with a en T wist in Aik The Aiken Saber Aca demy, an instructional progra m with the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tou rism department pra ctices their fencing skil ls with a Jed i twist.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 9

2019 SCRPA

AWARDS

Following another successful and enjoyable SCRPA Annual Conference, we would like to share the stories of the individuals and organizations who were recognized by the Association’s 2019 Awards Program.

Congratulations to all recipients!

Champions for Our Community Awards Marty Bridges

(L to R): Jordan O’Keefe, Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator, Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission; Andrea Harris, Seven Oaks Park Director, IrmoChapin Recreation Commission

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A community champion can be defined as someone who gives freely of their time, skills and talents to improve the quality of life for those in their community. The first Community Champion Award winner has served the Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission for over 40 years. Marty Bridges has coached youth football for 36 years, served on numerous committees and boards for ICRC, including the Saluda Shoals Park Foundation, the Advisory Board for the commission, the Seven Oaks Improvement Committee, and the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan Task Force. Marty has helped secure over $1.7 million to help build a universally inclusive playground for children and adults of all abilities to enjoy.

He secured $248,000 for naming rights at Saluda Shoals athletic fields and new scoreboards throughout the district. As a small example of his devotion to the community, in lieu of retirement gifts, he asked people to donate to the Park Foundation. Marty is a true community champion!

Programming Excellence Awards Population under 30,000: City of Orangeburg Every year during the weekend before Mother’s Day, the City of Orangeburg closes Riverside Drive to vehicular traffic and gives citizens and visitors the opportunity to leisurely walk through the entire Edisto Memorial Gardens with their family and friends.

Rieta Drinkwine, Director, Union County Library

Union County Library Serving a small county takes many partners especially when ONE, you are the state’s 32nd most populated county, TWO have a high poverty rate and THREE, rank 34th out of 46 counties in health outcomes. The Union County Library System and Union County Parks and Recreation collaborated with staff and utilized other resources to help the citizens of Union County enjoy various recreation programs. Whether it be the summer reading program or the kids fest, the Union County Library has been there to support the parks and recreation department as well as the citizens. Without this community champion, the Union County Parks and Recreation Department could not achieve the outreach that it does. The Union County Library is a true community champion!

The Champion for our Community award recognizes individuals and organizations who support our membership’s vision of creating community through people, parks and programs. This year, one individual and one organization received the honor.

This year marked the 48th annual Festival of Roses, which is held to celebrate the beginning of the roseblooming season. Appropriately, with over 30,000 visitors, the activities are centered in Orangeburg’s Edisto Memorial Gardens, where thousands of roses bloom near the banks of the Edisto River. Providing a variety of food and confections, attendees can enjoy entertainment or take part in fun, games and other family activities.

The City of Orangeburg Parks and Recreation Department is always proud to showcase their awardwinning Rose Garden, and the Festival of Roses was created to highlight the true gem of their City. From its humble beginnings to what it has become today, the format has changed over the years, but the basic concept has remained the same - an abundance of beautiful roses, enjoyable activities, and entertainment for the entire family to enjoy.

Shaniqua Simmons, Director, City of Orangeburg Parks and Recreation

Population over 30,000: City of Rock Hill

(L to R): Garnet McKeown, Recreation Division Supervisor, City of Rock Hill; Wendy Waddle, Special Populations Supervisor, City of Rock Hill

The Merry Mosaic Studio, a culmination of the therapeutic art programs coordinated by the City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department, gives artists of all abilities a space to create, share and sell their artwork. The studio offers multiple classes, including Beginner and Advanced Photography, Watercolor and Acrylic Painting, Alcohol Ink and Acrylic Paint Pouring, Hand Built and Wheel Pottery, and the Praise Dance Troup. The Studio hosts a TAP Into the Arts show that displays and sells the artists’ work and has grown in popularity each year with over 200 attendees.

The Merry Mosaic Studio provides a space for people with intellectual disabilities to discover their artistic abilities and helps expand their knowledge with different styles of art that may be out of the participant’s initial comfort zone. Therapeutic art programming has been found to be beneficial in managing behavior, increasing self-awareness, developing interpersonal skills and reducing stress. Partnerships with the South Carolina Special Olympics, Area Eleven Special Olympics and other local businesses provide monetary support for supplies needed in the Studio as well as rent-free venue space for the TAP Into the Arts show.

The Merry Mosaic Studio is incredibly unique, being the only space in the community of its kind, giving artists with special needs a space to create exceptional artwork. The growing popularity and positive impact on the artists as well as the community ensure future success for the program. The Merry Mosaic Studio and the therapeutic art programs provide opportunities that enhance the quality of life for Rock Hill residents.

The Programming Excellence award is given to agencies in two different population categories: under 30,000 and over 30,000. The Programming Excellence award honors a recreation program or special event.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 11

Parks Excellence Awards Population over 30,000: City of Aiken Through Capital Projects Sales Tax funds and a LWCF grant, the Eustis Park revitalization project was launched. Concurrently, the City also proceeded with construction of the Senior & Youth Center, funded with Capital Project Sales Tax funds, Hospitality Tax funds and the South Carolina Department on Aging P.I.P. grant. The first amenity within Eustis Park to be addressed was the two existing tennis courts. One of the tennis courts was converted into 4 pickleball courts during the rebuild project. Next, the old playground was removed and a new inclusive playground was installed to accommodate users of all abilities and levels. The walking trail was resurfaced and expanded around the new playground location. The revitalization included the installation of a surface parking area with ADA accessibility, sidewalks and walking trail (L to R): City of Aiken staff - Brett Howell, Pam Royal, Bo McCullough, Robert Kelly, connectors to the park. The parking area Rasheka Gaines, Jessica Campbell (Director), Jeff Metz, and Tim Behling successfully connects Eustis Park to the adjacent Lessie B. Price Aiken Senior & Youth Center, which opened April 24, 2019. Thanks to this Eustis Park has been property of the City of Aiken since 1897, ambitious project, Aiken residents now have a safer, more attractive originally consisting of 115 acres. The park currently sits on 7.94 recreation facility that is a source of great community pride and will acres with boundaries defined under the restriction of LWCF since serve citizens for generations to come!

1970. In 2016, 5.59 acres of adjacent property were purchased for development of a Senior & Youth Center. Combined with 1 acre of property owned by the City for storm water management, this makes the park total just over 15.5 acres. Prior to revitalization, the park featured a playground with swings, two picnic shelters, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a short walking trail. Parking was limited, and storm water runoff had created multiple landscape issues with areas of washout throughout the park.

The Parks Excellence award is given to agencies in two different population categories: under 30,000 and over 30,000.

The Parks Excellence award recognizes a new, renovated or revitalized park.

Individual Member Awards State Merit Award: Cheri Anthony, City of Pickens Recreation Department This year’s state merit award winner has been involved in SCRPA for over 15 years. Cheri Anthony graduated from Limestone College in 1983 and has been with the City of Pickens Recreation Department since 1995, becoming the Director in 1998. She was most recently the Chair of our Athletic Programming Branch. She was awarded the Athletic Program Professional of the Year in December of 2018. Congratulations to the 2019 SCRPA State Merit award winner Cheri Anthony.

Cheri Anthony, Director, City of Pickens Recreation Department

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SCRPA Branches and Districts grant their own professional awards throughout the year. Those winners are then submitted to the SCRPA Awards Citations Committee to select a single SCRPA State Merit Award winner.

Young Professional of the Year: Josh Blackstone, Facility Director, Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission Described as hard working, organized, detail orientated, dedicated to the profession, a “gentle giant,” and a mentor, Josh Blackstone has spent his entire career with the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. He is certified through the NRPA as a CPRP and Aquatics Facility Operator, and is also certified as a pest applicator and a pool operator through the state of South Carolina.

(L to R): Josh and Jessica Blackstone Throughout his young SCRPA career, Josh has had many roles including serving on the Parks and Resource Management Board, chairing the Awards and Citations Committee and graduating from the SC LEAD Class of 2012.

At CCPRC, Josh was a founding member of the maintenance mentoring committee and was chosen to lead the agency’s

reaccreditation for the Parks division. He is a leader of the “green team,” which focuses on educating staff on topics such as pond management, spraying standards and safety. As Wannamaker County Park Maintenance Supervisor, Josh oversees one of CCPRC’s largest and busiest day parks. Josh and his team also set up, break down and transport CCPRC’s portable swimming pool around Charleston County to facilitate youth swimming instruction, for which they were awarded CCPRC’s Teamwork Award in 2017.

According to Executive Director David Bennett, “As CCPRC transitioned its organizational structure with an eye to the future, Josh proved himself a leader and was instrumental in the implementation, development and success of this new agency structure. Josh’s leadership, creativity, and overall approach made this transition move quickly and efficiently. CCPRC is excited to have Josh’s leadership skillset onboard as we continue toward future projects.”

Josh is happily married to his wife Jessica and they have a beautiful “fur baby” Tucker!

The SCRPA Young Professional of the Year nominee must be in the parks and recreation profession for at least 3 years and no more than 15 years and a member in good standing of SCRPA and professionally certified through the NRPA. This award considers service, leadership, and character.

Professional of the Year: Joe Ross, Director, Town of Clover “He’s a person who possesses a vision necessary to grow himself, his department, and many recreation professionals across our state,” said his former supervisor at Florence County Parks and Recreation, Joe Eason.

In 2017, Joe achieved his ultimate goal of becoming a park and recreation agency director when he accepted the director’s position for the Town of Clover.

“Through all of the challenges during his first years as recreation director, Joe has maintained professionalism and courtesy,” said Allison Harvey, Town Administrator for Clover. Joe is an excellent representative of our Town and a valuable member of the Town’s management team.”

Joe and Annette Ross (Center), and family

Joe Ross has served four agencies and communities in South Carolina. He worked his way up through the ranks and has worn many hats along the way, from youth sports coordinator to park manager and beyond. Colleagues describe Joe as one of the most honest, hardworking, dedicated and professional individuals in the parks and recreation industry, in addition to being compassionate, inclusive, diverse and flexible.

In 1999, Joe became park manager of Florence County’s Lynches River County Park. Joe left a legacy by helping with many additions to the park, including the state’s first “Tree Top Canopy” trail among cypress trees, a new environmental center, and an ADAaccessible canoe and kayak launch.

Joe holds and maintains CPRP and CPSI certifications through NRPA and was in the inaugural SC LEAD class. He also served the association as president and chaired the PRM Branch, the ELM Branch and the Past Presidents Committee.

Of Joe’s SCRPA presidency, Phil Macchia says, “Joe championed the reorganization of the SCRPA membership. His leadership and push made it possible for this endeavor to become a reality, further enhancing our Association financially, but more importantly, opening the door for all individuals in an organization to be active.”

Joe’s home team includes his wife Annette, daughter Laney and their dog Lucas.

The SCRPA Professional of the Year nominee must be in the parks and recreation profession at least 15 years and a member of SCRPA for at least five years and professionally certified through the NRPA. This award considers service, leadership, and character.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 13

Robert L. Reid Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award: John Taylor, Exective Director, City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism

(L to R): Bev Carroll, Commissioner, City of Rock Hill PRT; John Taylor, Executive Director, City of Rock Hill PRT

This year’s Robert L. Reid Hall of Fame Award recipient, is described by his colleagues with these phrases: • A hands-on professional; an inspiring leader and visionary; • A sought-after mentor for young professionals; • Someone who places a high value on partnerships and inclusion; • A decision-maker who asks “how will this affect our people?”

• And someone who has never lost his enthusiasm for parks and recreation in his more than 39 years of service.

Professional of the Year Award. John presently serves on the SC Tourism Expenditure Review Commission.

This year’s award recipient describes himself as “a guy who started by painting ball fields” and “a country boy from Batesburg-Leesville”.

“Under John’s direction, Rock Hill has become a destination for sports in the Southeast and the United States,” says Rock Hill City Manager David Vehaun.

Bev Carroll who has served on Rock Hill’s Parks and Recreation Commission since 1989 says, “John has a passion for PRT and our community, and he has been tireless in his efforts.”

John D. Taylor, who’s spent his entire career with the City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is the recipient of the 2019 Robert L. Reid Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award. John holds degrees from Clemson University, the NC State School of Sports Management and the Institute of Departmental Management at the USC Institute for Public Service and Policy Research. He started with the City of Rock Hill in 1980, working up through the roles of Recreation Programmer, Cherry Park Supervisor, Parks Division Supervisor and Operations Supervisor and in 2013, he became Department Director.

Clemson’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Department recognized John in 2015 with the Outstanding Alumnus Practitioner Award.

On the local level, John has served on and chaired numerous boards. At the state level, John has served on the SC Trails Advisory Board, was President of SCRPA, and he received the 2003

2019 SCRPA

AWARDS

John is a strong, caring leader to his employees, encouraging all to “keep it positive” and to share their shout outs for their teammates at the beginning of all staff meetings. He works effectively with City Council, City Management, Department Directors and the numerous volunteers who support PRT through commissions and advisory committees.

The Robert L. Reid Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award recognizes lifetime achievement in the parks and recreation profession and is awarded to a professional or citizen with a minimum of 20 years of service to the profession. The recipient must have actively promoted the parks and recreation profession through presentations, writings and service in their community, the state and our nation.

Congratulations to all 2019 SCRPA award recipients!

You should be proud of all you’ve accomplished.

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SOUTH CAROLINA

RECREATION & PARKS ASSOCIATION

Help us Celebrate 75 Years!

194 5 -2 0 2 0

SCRPA Agency Submissions

To commemorate SCRPA’s 75th anniversary in 2020, we are producing two special publications. The Spring 2020 issue of SCRPA’s SOUTH CAROLINA magazine will feature articles and photos from the past 75 years. We will also be producing a special 75th anniversary hardcover book filled with articles, photos, agency member information, and a corporate member directory. You can be part of both publications!

INFORM ATION: SC RPA agency members are invited to submit details about their community or organization for inclusi on in the 75th anniversar y book.

Please include: year city or organization was form ed or incorporated; city popula tion in 1945 & today; up to 75 words about your organi zation; and 1-5 notable things your community has don e for your residents in the areas of parks and recreation . Email information to Tod d Pernsteiner at info@pern steiner.com or complete the online form at ww w.SCR PA75.com.

PHOTOS: Has your com munity collec ted amazin g park and recreation images over the past 75 years?

We want to see them! When sen ding, please include the year the photo was taken (if kno wn), where it was taken, photo credit (if known), and a caption describing the photo.

Be sure you have permis sion/rights to use the ima ge.

Email (if 10MB or less) to: info@pernsteiner.co m OR, upload photos at ww w.S CRPA75.com. (Please lab el photos with your name and description; then em ail us the list of photos you upl oaded with captions, alo ng with your contac t information .

Information and ph otos due by Jan. 8, 2020.

Advertising & Corporate Membership

e is available in both the Spring ADV ERTISING: Advertising spac OLIN A magazine and the CAR TH th SOU of 75 anniversary issue book. BONUS: Advertise in both 75th anniversary commemorative rates are also available for ad ial Spec ! publications and SAVE profits.

SCRPA member agencies and noner at info@pernsteiner.com To advertise, contact Todd Pernstein at www.bit.ly/SCRPA2020. or 952- 841-1111. View the rate card S: Renew or establish your COR POR ATE MEM BER LISTING hip by Jan. 8, 2020 and you’ll be 2020 SCRPA Corporate Members both 75th publications! in gs listin included in the corporate visit www.scrpa.org.

For corporate membership details, 0.

Advertising due by Jan. 8, 202

Pre-Order Your Commemorative Book & Save!

The commemorative SCRPA coffee table book will be a trip down memory lane – celebrating 75 years of parks and recreation in the state. This is a great way to see how things have changed…or stayed the same.

This book would be a great gift! Pre-sales end Jan. 15, 2020. Books will ship Spring 2020. A limited quantity of extra books will be printed and available for $46 ea. while supplies last. Don’t miss out!

Early-bird rate (Aug. 1 – Nov. 1, 2019)................... $33.95 ea.

Regular rate (Nov. 2 – Jan. 15, 2020).....................$39.95 ea.

Last-chance rate (Jan. 15, 2020 – Feb. 4, 2020)......$46.00 ea.

Shipping & handling fees (for deliveries to same address): 1 book......... $15 total 2-4 books.....$17 total 5-6 books....$20 total 7-10 books... $28 total

SCRPA COMMEMORATIVE 75TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK ORDER FORM _____ (Quantity) x $____________ (Book Fee) + $___________ (S&H) = $______________ (total enclosed) Name______________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to:

Company (if applicable)_______________________________________

Pernsteiner Creative Group

Shipping Address_____________________________________________

Sorry, credit card payments available only via the online order form (see link below).

City_______________________ State__________ Zip_______________

Mail check and order form to:

Email_______________________________________________________

Pernsteiner Creative, Todd Pernsteiner 5115 Excelsior Blvd, #433 Minneapolis, MN 55416

Check one: n Commercial shipping address n Residential shipping address

Questions? Call Todd at 952-841-1111.

Phone______________________________________________________

ORDER ONLINE VIA CREDIT CARD AT WWW.SCRPA75.COM WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 15 WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 15

HOW SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES ARE INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY INTO THEIR PROGRAMMING

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FLORENCE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION ESPORTS / COMPETITIVE GAMING

By Nathan Dawsey, Florence County Parks & Recreation On September 27, 2019, FLOCO GAMING had its Opening Ceremony. This is an ESports / Competitive Gaming Program for the youth of Florence County, SC. In an effort to reach and regain the involvement of all youth in this area, Florence County Parks & Recreation Department set out to create a truly unique program. With the help of several sponsors, local universities, and the US Army, we have been able to provide the very best for our participants. Our program offers a safe and controlled environment for participants to socially engage with others of similar age and interests.

The local universities have established collegiate ESports teams who provide our players with the best coaching available. Their affiliation also provides our participants the opportunity to learn how they can pursue these interests beyond the program.

The FLOCO GAMING program is divided into three separate groups that meet weekly. At these organized team meets, our participants spend the first two hours practicing their chosen game

to compete in. While practicing, they receive coaching from our program volunteers and the collegiate esports teams to help improve their gameplay and overall experience. The last hour of these meets is called free play. This is an opportunity for all of the participants to wind down, play something different, and take advantage of all the amazing equipment we have.

Additionally, our department has introduced a branch off of the program called Free Play Wednesday. All participants are welcome to stop in every Wednesday during the season and just have fun. Free Play Wednesday has been an excellent barometer for us, since it is proof that the program is successful. During our season, we have scheduled two in-house tournaments to mix it up. On December 7, we will host a season ending tournament for our participants and open it to the public. This will serve to hopefully expose our program to even more future participants, and help us grow heading into our spring season.

The local universities have established collegiate ESports teams who provide our players with the best coaching available.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 17

FLORENCE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION ESPORTS / COMPETITIVE GAMING FLOCO GAMING has been designed to teach a lot of the same life skills one would get from a more “conventional” program. Participants gain leadership skills, teamwork skills, develop practice habits, and much more. All of this has led to a well-received and very successful start. Within hours, registration was full. After allowing more to register based on the overwhelming interest, the

additional space filled up again within hours. We ended our registration with 45 total participants. Without equipment limitations, we believe this program may have outpaced some of our other traditional sports in terms of participation numbers. The response from participants’ parents has been complimentary. Parents have expressed their thanks for providing their kids an experience they would have

otherwise missed out on, since they don’t have any interest in playing football, baseball, basketball, and other sports.

This program is allowing us to provide recreation for all demographics throughout Florence County. It is our hope that other departments will join us by establishing their own ESports Program.

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18 SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks • www.scrpa.org

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USING TECHNOLOGY & TEAMWORK TO PROMOTE AN EVENT Like most Parks & Recreation departments, Horry County is constantly searching for ways to maximize exposure and grow programming, while minimizing expenses.

By collaborating with other county departments, we were able to utilize drone footage and social media marketing to promote an event and a new amenity to a wide audience at a very low cost.

Following the in-house creation of our Panther Run 5K run/walk trail, staff decided that the most effective way to promote this new feature was to host an event that would attract a large group of people. We came up with the Ghost of the Coast Fun Run and Trunk or Treat.

The event is a costumed 5k on the new trail, immediately followed by a free trunk or treat featuring county departments and local businesses handing out candy.

The idea was to appeal to more than just the running community, ideally bringing families to our property so they can see our facilities and learn our other programs. While this idea sounded great in theory, we needed to successfully promote it on a limited budget.

For promotion, we looked within our organization and asked our public information team for assistance.

Staffed with tech-savvy millennials, they recommended a Facebook marketing campaign including a promotional video showing off the new trail that would reach a wider audience than signage and flyers could. We thought drone footage would be an excellent way to showcase the trail,

so we asked our Police Department for their assistance. They generously agreed to fly their drone and then recorded footage during a High School Cross Country Meet taking place at Panther Run. The footage was uploaded onto a shared folder where our public information team was able to edit it, add graphics, and do a voiceover to create a brief promotional clip for our event.

estimates they spent between two and three hours on the project, while the Police Department spent about two hours getting drone footage. This pre-event investment was definitely worthwhile.

Thousands of our citizens have now seen our new Panther Run Trail and know that the Horry County Department of Parks and Recreation is building amenities and hosting events in their community.

After a Facebook event was created, we paid to boost both the event and the video on Facebook to our target audience. For a total cost of only $50, we were able to reach over 5,600 people, get over 2,300 views on the video, and have over 1,400 people say they were interested in attending the event. Public information

As a result of our hard work and social media, between 300-400 people attended the Trunk or Treat event and 98 runners participated in the Ghost of the Coast Fun Run for the first time ever doing this event.

As a result of our hard work and social media, between 300-400 people attended the Trunk or Treat event, and 98 runners participated in the Ghost of the Coast Fun Run.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 19

LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA TO LAUNCH SK8 CHARLESTON ONTO THE NATIONAL STAGE

By Josh McFadden, Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission In July 2019, Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission’s (CCPRC) SK8 Charleston skate park was contacted

by Triple 8, a leading manufacturer of helmets and protective gear for the action sports industry. SK8 Charleston was selected as one of six locations on the East Coast to participate in the ‘Triple 8 Clash Madness’ Battle of the Skateshops.

This unique online competition pitted skate shops and parks against each other for a chance to win a trip to the ‘Clash at Clairemont,’ an annual event held in San Diego at the Mission Valley YMCA/

Krause Family Bike and Skatepark that brings together some of the biggest names in professional skateboarding, BMX and music.

Each participating location selected a skater to represent them in the battle. SK8 Charleston chose highly-skilled skater and Charleston native Conor Kerr. Conor worked with local videographer Clay Moeller to create a minute-long video skating at SK8 Charleston and other local skate spots. Online voting for the videos occurred in August, with popular opinion

determining the best video from the East and West Coasts.

Leading up to and during the voting period, SK8 Charleston made daily posts and stories on Instagram and Facebook, encouraging customers to vote for Conor and the park. Each post contained a small clip from his video, never revealing the full piece. This required customers to go to the voting site to see the complete video. CCPRC also shared these posts on its social media accounts, reaching a much larger audience. Emails were

SK8 Charleston was selected as one of six locations on the East Coast to participate in the ‘Triple 8 Clash Madness’ Battle of the Skateshops.

20 SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks • www.scrpa.org

PARK AND PLAYGROUND INSPECTION SOFTWARE CAN TAKE YOUR DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

By Michele Breakfield, Playground Guardian Director of Marketing

sent out internally to CCPRC staff as well as to the agency’s pass holders. It was truly a team effort!

Not to mention, Conor, his friends, family and peers rallied around him, sharing and encouraging others to vote. The social media push was incredibly successful, and Conor won the East Coast bracket by a substantial margin, making him one of wo finalists.

Once public voting was complete and the field narrowed down to finalists from each coast, a judging panel of professional skaters including Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab, Andy MacDonald, Mike Valleley and Mike Rogers, selected Conor as the Grand Prize Winner! Conor and a guest won an all-expense paid trip to the Clash at Clairemont and received the full VIP treatment. It was a great networking opportunity for Conor and SK8 Charleston staff, with professional skaters, BMX riders, musicians, photographers/videographers and many skate industry leaders present. SK8 Charleston and CCPRC received incredible publicity during the Clash. During the event, SK8 Charleston made multiple Instagram and Facebook posts, and featured every aspect of the event on our story, so viewers could follow along throughout the day.

By engaging our social media users, SK8 Charleston was able to garner significant national exposure for the skate park, which we will continue to foster.

Public playgrounds need to be inspected across the United States.

Unfortunately, some parks and recreation departments are understaffed and overworked. This is where an inspection software program can help.

Using an inspection software management system will save you time, make your department more efficient, and reduce risk and liability. No more binders and file cabinets full of paper inspections; you will now be able to easily access inspection reports, share information and track maintenance.

Moving from a paper inspection system, may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s take this one step at a time: First, understand your current inspection process. Make sure you know how often your playgrounds are currently being inspected, the time it takes to complete them and if issues are found, how you track resolution.

Research your options, reach out to nearby or neighboring parks departments or municipalities, and get references. Many times, your local parks and recreation association may have some associate members or vendor options for you. Government purchasing coops like US Communities may also have some suggested sources.

Demo a couple of inspection programs. Actually kick the tires so to speak.

Inspection software should be user friendly, have a mobile app, include inventory management with photographs, ability to create work orders from issues, track maintenance/issues completed, report incidents or accidents, and incorporate documentation capabilities.

Now, make your choice based on ease of use, multi-functional, customer service and cost. All are equally important, but most of all, you want something that is user friendly, thorough, and can provide excellent customer support and service.

Once you have made your selection on a park/playground inspection software, you can take your department to the next level. You will have information at your fingertips, a documented maintenance plan, and save your department time and money, reduce risk of injury and ultimately eliminating liability.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 21

LET’S BE FRIENDS: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENTS

By Bethany Doman, City of Charleston Recreation Department & Kristen Guilfoos, Spartanburg County Parks Department Did you know that 90% of all marketers say that social media marketing has increased their business exposure?

With the prevalence of social media, traditional marketing methods seem to have lost their luster. Connecting on social media helps your agency communicate with various audiences more quickly, effectively and creatively.

The first step in obtaining a Facebook page or other social media outlet is to get your bosses on board and prove the value in marketing via social media.

For the City of Charleston Recreation Department to receive a Facebook page, we created a proposal with important reasons and backing research as to why we needed it and how it would benefit

our department as a whole. Social media is cost-effective, allowing you to transfer thousands of dollars spent on print advertising to boosting posts on Facebook, thus saving money and increasing results. Most of our programs promoted on Facebook have increased in attendance or have filled up when they weren’t even half full before, which as a result, increased our program revenue.

Creating and maintaining a brand is crucial in marketing in general, but utilizing social media has allowed us to create one consistent voice and for our department to become more recognizable in the community. Before when we were posting only on the City of Charleston government Facebook

page, our posts were being washed away by trash schedules, coffee with the mayor dates, neighborhood meeting information, etc. Although that page is a great information source, we greatly needed a page that represented us and what we do as a recreation department.

By getting our own Facebook page, we were able to increase employee morale by posting pictures and developing campaigns to highlight our employees and increase our customer and community engagement through campaigns and sharing posts from other supporting organizations.

Once you have your social media accounts up and running, you have to keep them going and that requires knowing what to post and the best way to do it. If you want engagement, be engaging.

This means getting creative with clever captions and catchy graphics. In a world where we’re inundated with thousands of pictures a day on social media, you have to make sure what you post catches the eye of the viewer.

To start creating catchy graphics, there are several great apps and websites that are free or inexpensive to use. Canva.com and Snappa. com are free websites that allow you to easily insert your photos and words into predesigned or blank templates that cover a variety of styles and needs. It’s always best to use your own photos, but if you’re in need of a stock photo, Pexels.com is a free database of royalty free images where you won’t run into copyright issues like you would on Google. Typorama is an app on your phone that has a minimal cost (around $20), but allows you

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to efficiently import photos right from your phone, add text and create professional looking graphics.

Creating consistent social media campaigns is an easy way to get followers and maintain engagement. In the Spartanburg County Parks Department, the most successful campaign is #WhereIsItWednesday, where we take a photo of a logoed water bottle in one of our parks and our followers can guess the location to win a prize. This campaign allowed us to boost engagement through comments, likes and shares, but also show off our many parks and facilities across the county so that’s a win-win! Other successful campaigns are #MeetTheTeam (introduce your employees to your followers), #SponsorSpotlight (highlight local businesses that sponsor your programs and events), and #FunFactFriday (did you know we have over 200 miles of walking trails?).

Last, but not least, knowing when to post is pivotal to your social media success.

A good rule of thumb is to post between two and three times a day, and make your first post before 9 a.m. In general, people tend to be most active and engaged on Facebook between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Making sure you have a social media plan heading into the week will allow you to be more organized and efficient when creating engaging posts.

Creating and maintaining a brand is crucial in marketing in general, but utilizing social media has allowed us to create one consistent voice and for our department to become more recognizable in the community.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 23

STEM IN THE PARKS: THE BIODISCOVERY PROJECT In the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, rec and tech are combined through an innovative program called the BioDiscovery Project. The BioDiscovery Project was founded in 2017 through a grant from the Bosch Community Fund.

The program’s goal is to promote environmental stewardship through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and environmental education. The BioDiscovery Project is flexible in design and allows people from many different types of sites to participate. Classroom teachers and students, nonformal education sites, parks, and marine science labs are all monitoring their local water systems through this project.

Sampling sites are scattered across the state of South Carolina and are essentially creating a map of watershed health.

Charleston County Parks’ Interpretation team is one of the organizing project members along with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, the College of Charleston’s Grice Marine Lab, and Clemson’s Carolina Clear Program. This group created a program similar to the work being done by Maryland’s Sea Grant in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Both organizations use a device called a biorack to monitor living organisms in aquatic environments. Once it’s submerged, they will settle, grow, and live on this device.

Technology is an integral part of the BioDiscovery Project because teachers and students may engineer racks to test research questions. Students interested in learning if changes in surface texture impact the rate of animal attachment could design a rack to test that question through this program. They are encouraged to brainstorm ideas, map out a plan, execute their vision, and collect results.

Recreation comes into play because all students and teachers involved in the project are invited to visit one of the Charleston County Parks to participate in a fun, educational field trip. At these sites students see working bioracks, experience scientific sampling firsthand, and learn why citizen science projects are a fundamental part of stewardship plans.

Through the BioDiscovery Project, students are gaining experience in critical thinking and creative problem solving.

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They are learning to think like scientists. One teacher from Orange Grove Charter School said, “The BioDiscovery Project has opened our classroom to an authentic and engaging learning experience! My 7 year old students are learning how to manipulate microscopes, practicing how to record data, and learning how to identify species that thrive right here in the neighborhood pond. My hope is that through this project, I am inspiring future scientists!”

If you would like to learn more about the BioDiscovery Project, please visit https://scbiodiscovery.com/. If you would like to host a biorack at your site, email Beth Burkett at bburkett@ccprc.com.

SciGirls CODE

By Jan Cox, Recreation Programs Manager, City of Greenville Parks & Recreation Department The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation collaborated with women engineers to offer a SciGirls Code program. SciGirls is an Emmy awardwinning PBS Kids television show, website, and educational outreach program.

SciGirls draws on cutting-edge research about what engages girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and careers.

The SciGirls Code program was strategically planned for girls in lowincome backgrounds with no cost to ensure equitable access to all materials.

The program delivers a STEM learning

environment that empowers girls to be tech savvy innovators. In addition, this program is primarily focused on eliminating the barriers that prevent girls from pursuing STEM career opportunities.

SciGirls Code is funded by the National Science Foundation and PBS. The SciGirls Code curriculum works well in the informal settings and uses accessible and simple materials to create exciting science investigations for the kids. It offers research based strategies for engaging girls and underserved youth. The program includes access to an interactive website and hands-on

activities that work together to inspire, enable, and maximize STEM learning and participation. Each week, through the SciGirls appointed website, girls can join bright, curious girls in putting STEM to work. The PBS SciGirls website allows each program to share projects in a totally safe social networking environment! The resources and support provided by SciGirls is extremely valuable and is the backbone of the program’s success.

During the 2018-2019 school year Greenville’s David Hellams Community Center was chosen to offer the SciGirls Code program. Wanda Staggers, a certified SciGirls instructor, provided lessons twice a week for a minimum of four hours. Projects during the course of the year include Mobile App Development, Robotics and E-Textiles.

Each project concluded with a makea-thon, applying the new concepts to a local community problem.

The project goals are to: • Spark and strengthen young girls’ interest, skills, and confidence as technology creators • Have role models in best practices for engaging girls • Research computational thinking and the connected learning model for out of school learning The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, Upstate SC STEM Collaborative and STEM Centers SC are continuing to plan for outreach programs for out of school time learning. The next goal for the City of Greenville’s program will be adding the “A” in STEAM which stands for art — specifically, incorporating art into science, technology, engineering and mathematics as a way to both augment the things taught and to give the students a new perspective when looking at problems that need solving.

The SciGirls Code curriculum works well in the informal settings and uses accessible and simple materials to create exciting science investigations for the kids.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 25

CREATING Spaces for ACTIVE COMMUNITIES

New athletic, recreation, and community centers in South Carolina Recreation facilities create a sense of community in cities both large and small. They provide a space for both residents and visitors to gather for sporting competitions, fitness classes, educational opportiunities, and special events. In the pages that follow, we highlight a handful of new facilities which are now open – or opening soon – throughtout the Palmetto State.

Rock Hill Sports & Event Center Construction on the City of Rock Hill’s newest facility, the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, is nearing completion with an early 2020 opening anticipated. The new facility will host city athletic programs, sports tournaments, conferences/conventions, concerts and other special events. Located in the Knowledge Park corridor of the city, the facility is a key player in a mixed-use development connecting Winthrop University to Old Town Rock Hill with restaurants, outdoor venues, office space, apartments and more.

Facility features: • Championship Court - 12,500 sq ft with 1,200 stadium seats • Main Court - 72,000 sq ft with 700 permanent seats • 10 Basketball Courts • 17 Volleyball Courts • Walking Track • 8,000 sq ft multi-purpose event space The Rock Hill Sports & Event Center will be owned, operated, maintained and programmed by the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. The facility adds to the quality of life in Rock Hill and surrounding areas by offering healthy living activities as well as cultural and tourism opportunities.

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ROLLINS EDWARDS COMMUNITY CENTER, TOWN OF SUMMERVILLE The Town of Summerville hosted a grand opening event for the new Rollins Edwards Community Center in late June 2019.

The 14,000 square foot building features a full-size gymnasium, three multipurpose rooms, a fitness room, a wellness center, and catering kitchen.

The Community Center, which was previously known as the South Carolina National Guard Armory, sat vacant for many years before the town bought the building in 2014. Rollins Edwards was a Dorchester County leader and World War II veteran who passed away in 2017.

“I am thrilled the Town is opening the door to the resources this facility will bring to the community,” Colin Martin, Summerville Town Administrator, said. “A lot of hard work and planning has gone into this. The REC Center will add to the quality of life for the people of Summerville for years to come.”

The community center officially opened for routine operation on July 1, 2019.

WINTER 2019 • SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks 27

NORTH CHARLESTON ATHLETIC Center North Charleston’s newest recreational facility, the North Charleston Athletic Center, opened in October 2019.

The Center is comprised of three indoor gymnasiums for multiuse, as well as community meeting and event space. The 51,000 sf, $14 million state of the art facility has been designed to host an array of competitive and recreational sports, including basketball, pickleball, wrestling, volleyball, cheerleading, soccer, among many others.

Facility features: • 3 full court basketball floors • 4 regulation volleyball courts • 6 full size pickle ball courts “The North Charleston Athletic Center will be the flagship of our recreation programming for our residents, granting greater access to a larger number of competitive sports, right in our backyard. At the end of the day, it’s about giving our youth a year-round athletic center to promote teamwork, leadership, and wellness,” stated North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.

“In addition, we anticipate the facility to be an economic driver of sports tourism, attracting regional, statewide, and national tournament play.”

“The citizens of North Charleston have asked for a facility like this, and I’m proud that City Council and Mayor Summey have delivered with the beautiful North Charleston Athletic Center right here in District 6,” stated North Charleston City Council Member Dorothy Williams. “This is a win for the youth of our community.”

“Our recreational programming has taken a huge leap forward with the opening of the North Charleston Athletic Center,” stated Park and Recreation Director Ed Barfield. “We can now fulfill the countless requests to host large-scale youth events, while granting greater access for recreational play, from youth to adult.

The long-lasting benefits of a facility like this are yet to be told.”

Photos by Chris & Cami Photography / Provided by Trident Construction

ACTIVE PLAY OUTDOORS IN NORTH CHARLESTON

By Oliver Trittenwein, Ed.D, SportMaster®

Above: The City of North Charleston used CarolinaSport Surfaces to help an inner city community center create a game and activities court for children attending camps and after school programs.

28 SOUTH CAROLINA Recreation and Parks • www.scrpa.org

When most people think of recreation and parks, they usually associate it with baseball and softball fields, swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis and pickleball courts just to name a few. For everyone who participates, it is about enjoying these outdoor activities while having fun with friends and families as well as meeting new people and bringing the community together.

Looking across this fine state of South Carolina, with perfect weather for participating in outdoor activities most of the year. Our SportMaster ® resurfacing professionals have been hard at work repairing sport surfaces to make them safe and playable, while adding beauty back to the community.

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HARDEEVILLE RECREATIONAL COMMUNITY Center brings enhancement to the quality of life and living in Hardeeville as well as its neighbors.

Facility features: • Main Court – NCAA accommodations with seating for over 1,000 guests • 2 basketball courts • 1 volleyball court • Pickle ball courts • 5,000 sq. ft. fitness center • Shower/locker amenities • Indoor walking track • 2 racquetball courts • 3 multi-use rooms • Concessions • 2,200 sq. ft. multi-purpose event space

Images by Bobbit Design Build

The City of Hardeeville broke ground on its first indoor recreational facility on October 15th 2019 and is expected to open by winter of 2021. The facility is the first of its kind for Jasper County and sits between two major corridors off interstate 95 allowing the City to bring more economic growth and development to Hardeeville, the fastest growing City in SC. The 38,000 sq. ft. facility will host a variety of programs, tournaments and special events for all ages focusing on community and tourism.

In addition, the center provides a 5,000 sq. ft. state of the art fitness center that will provide personal training and fitness instruction in partnership with the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA. The new facility

ISLAND RECREATION CENTER EXPANDS IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND The long awaited and highly anticipated opening of the expanded Island Recreation Center has arrived. Two years after the groundbreaking in January of 2017, the Island Recreation Center opened in January 2019, unveiling the Carmines Recreation Building. The Town of Hilton Head provided $13.2 million for the renovation and expansion of the rec center while Hilton Head People for Parks raised $1.2 million dollars to up fit the buildings.

Above: The addition is named the Carmines Recreation Building to commemorate the long-standing partnership and support of the DMC Foundation. The Carmines Family founded The DMC Foundation in honor of David McGee Carmines.

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For two weeks, the Carmines Recreation Building was open free of charge. Patrons were able to utilize the open gym, walking track, and surrounding cardio and strength equipment. In addition, all land fitness classes were complimentary.

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