Placement: Proclamations and Special presentations
Action Requested: Discussion
TITLE
Recognition: City of Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department - 2019 National Recreation & Parks Association Innovation in Health and Best in Innovation Awards.
BODY
Submitted By: Patricia Roberts, Deputy Director, Parks & Recreation Department
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Vision to offer leisure opportunities for an active lifestyle.
Executive Summary (General Business): In June and September 2019, the City of Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department (PRD) was notified by National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA) that the City's PRD was the winner of two awards from NRPA - the 2019 Innovation in Health Award and the 2019 Best in Innovation Award, for the Department's Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) Program. PRD was recognized at NRPA's national conference held in September 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Presentation Information: PRD staff will be present to provide additional information. A participant from RSB will provide a brief testimonial of the positive impacts of RSB from their personal experience. A short promotional video will be shared of the NRPA Awards Ceremony and NRPA Opening General Session where the City of Port St. Lucie was recognized.
Staff Recommendation: Request that the Council recognize City staff and celebrate with the community as recipients of the two 2019 NRPA Innovation Awards.
Background: Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact, boxing-based fitness program, developed for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a degenerative movement disorder which causes deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory functions. The RSB program is based on the concept of intense "forced" exercise, which suggests that certain types of exercise may be neuro-protective, slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease. The mission of RSB is to empower people with Parkinson's disease to fight back and give them hope by improv...
Click here for full text