#PRPS Conference #BreakingTraditions 

by Karen Hammond, Conference Publicity Committee

As we all know, our vendors and support organizations are what keep us going, and the list that follows are some of the more outstanding groups.

Your 2015 PRPS Annual Conference Sponsors are (drum roll, please!):

Diamond Level

DCNR

Platinum Level

George Ely Associates, Inc. and Playworld Systems

Gold Level

Delaware Valley Insurance Trust, Hersheypark, District III,  and PerfectMIND

Silver Star Level

Landscape Structures, and Turkey Hill Minit Markets

Silver Level

84 Lumber Company, Dutch Wonderland, Boyce Associates, General Recreation, Inc.,

Bitting Recreation, E.L.F. Entertainment, and Phantom Entertainment

Friend Level

Westmoreland County Recreation Alliance, and YSM Landscape Architects

Don't see your favorite organization or vendor on this list? Get in contact with Karen Hegedus or Mark Palerino to find how to get them involved!

Our exhibit hall is always filled with great information and connections--we are confident this year will be no different! Check out the exhibitors that we have so far:

Best Line Equipment; Landstudies; Liberty Parks & Playgrounds, Inc.; Morey's Piers; Play & Park Structures; E.H. Griffith, Inc.; FacilityDude; Jamestown Advanced Products Corporation; Aqua Chemical Supply Inc.; Lowee's Group Tours/Innovative Coach; Snider Recreation, Inc.; RecDesk Software; Herbert; Rowland & Grubic, Inc.; Pennsylvania Land Trust Association; Science Explorers; PerfectMIND; Short Productions; Deckerscapes, LLC; Challenger Sports; Your Active World; Lawn and Golf Supply Co., Inc.; The Franklin Institute; Gametime Park & Playground Equipment/MRC; Blue Mountain; Maximum Solutions, Inc.; A&H Equipment Company; Sahara Sam's Oasis & Diggerland USA; Letterco, Inc.; Playsites Plus Surfaces, Inc.; National Alliance for Youth Sports; Commercial Recreation Products; Designed for Fun, Inc.; Pannier Graphics; Protect Youth Sports; American Red Cross; Beam Clay/Partac Peat Corp.; Get Outdoors PA; DASH Platform; Martin Stone Quarries Inc.; US Sports Institute; USTA Middle States; American Fireworks Company; Recreation Resource USA; Treatment Specialties/Mer-Made Filter; Dutch Wonderland; Boyce Associates; Hersheypark; T&M Associates; Tandy Leather; ELF Entertainment, Inc.; DCNR; Bitting Recreation, Inc.; CommunityPass; Keystone Purchasing Network (KPN); 84 Lumber Company; Musco Sports Lighting; Oldcastle Precast - EASI-SET BLDGS DW; George Ely Associates; Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Alliance; YSM Landscape Architects; Delaware Valley Insurance Trust (DVIT); Ramuc Pool Paint; Vermont Systems, Inc.; General Recreation, Inc.; Phantom Entertainment; American Tennis Courts, Inc.; BSN Sports; River Valley Recreation; Turkey Hill Minit Markets; Anchor Audio, Inc.; CXT Inc.; and Six Flags Great Adventure.

Want to be sure that the exhibit hall includes your best of the best? Contact Kate King or Ryan McCleaster and they can help! 

For more details on the Conference, click here.  Register online! 

(If you are a DVIT Member you can receive $100 off your registration if you are one of the first 30 DVIT registrations. Go to page 22 in the registration guide for more details). 

Student Scholarships Available - Deadline is 2/20/15

The Delores Andy, John H. Jones Memorial, Larry G. Williamson, and Robert Crawford Memorial Scholarships are generously contributed funds allowing four students to attend the PA Recreation & Park Society's 68th Annual State Conference FREE of charge.

PRPS is pleased to announce a new scholarship to benefit a young professional.

David Milliren, PRPS member, has made a generous contribution to establish the Outstanding Young Professional Scholarship. This award will recognize and support a young professional by covering $500 of the recipient's expenses to attend the PRPS conference.

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

To apply, submit a resume and two letters of recommendation from a professional supervisor or colleague to trobert@prps.org.

Deadline is February 20, 2015. 

• Applications will be judged and a selection made by the PRPS Community Branch Executive Committee.

• Results of the selection process will be announced by March 6, 2015.

• The recipient will be notified via phone. 

Penn State Extension Green Infrastructure Webinar Series

Join us for the Green Infrastructure Webinar Series as we explore how green infrastructure can put our communities and landscapes on the road to sustainability.  The first in this series will concentrate on introducing green infrastructure and explore maintenance of these structural systems.  Beginning in late summer, the webinars will discuss non-structural topics such as open space conservation, green infrastructure elements, natural resource conservation standards, and conflict resolution.

The webinars are free and begin at 12:00 pm (EST). Click here for more information.

Upcoming PRPS Trainings

March 16, 2015

Liberty Bell Trail Workshop

Bucks County Community College, Northern Bucks Campus

Perkasie, PA

More information will be available next week.

March 22, 2015

Citizens & Friends Day Workshop

Lancaster Marriott & Convention Center

Lancaster, PA

March 24, 2015

Park Resource Maintenance Workshop

Lancaster Marriott & Convention Center

Lancaster, PA

New Webinar

Joint Use Agreements: Working Together to Create a Healthier Community

Wednesday, February 25, 2015
3:30 - 4:30 PM

Register here!

Please join Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center and special guests, Manel Kappagoda from ChangeLab Solutions, and Anne Clark from Lincoln Charter School, for a discussion about how joint use agreements can bring together schools, organizations, and communities to increase opportunities for physical activity and wellness. 

Topics will include:

• An overview of Joint Use Agreements (JUA)
• Benefits and Challenges of JUAs
• Key points to consider when developing a JUA
• An example of a successful JUA project
   

District News - One Ski Social left!

PA Therapeutic Recreation Institute  

SAVE THE DATE! 47th Annual Therapeutic Recreation Institute June 3-5, 2015 Doubletree Resort by Hilton Lancaster, PA