Our 2019 Fiscal Year Accomplishments

When you have a team working together to reach the same goal, a lot can be accomplished in the matter of a year! Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), which covers July 2018 through June 2019, shaped up to be an exciting year for the Residents of Durham and Durham Parks and Recreation! The list is long (and we can't fit everything in a single blog post) but here's a brief look back at some of the things Durham Parks and Recreation accomplished in FY 19...

• The tennis courts at Morreene Road Park were renovated, the concrete paths around the playground were removed, and the edges of the playground surface repaired. A public art installation was also included at this location.
• We received $144,000 in Grant Funding, $1,008 in Cash Donations and $6,093 in In-Kind Donations.
• We experienced a 51% increase in enrollments in After School within the past two years, increasing from 91 participants in FY17 to 139 participants in FY19. The transportation pilot, staffing, training and customer service had an impact.
• We hosted the US Tennis Association NC 40 & Over State Tennis Championship, June 27-30, 2019. The tournament was played at several venues across the City. Durham Parks and Recreation facilities, including Elmira Avenue, Morreene Road, Rock Quarry, Southern Boundaries and Whippoorwill Parks hosted a good portion of the tennis matches. This tournament brought in approximately 1,200 players from across the state to compete and required over 100 volunteers locally to assist with the tournament. The economic impact for Durham was $409,153. The agreement is for two years, so they will be back next summer.
• Sandy Creek Park Trails and Boardwalks received the Keep Durham Beautiful Award at the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards Ceremony. The program is sponsored by the Durham City County Appearance Commission and Keep Durham Beautiful. 
• The Durham Armory was nominated for a People’s Choice Award for renovations to restore the original facade.
• We were awarded the Great Places Award for 2019 in June from the NC Chapter of the American Planning Association for the renovations of the basketball courts at Hillside Park. The renovations included new backboards, updates to the fencing and landscaping, and colorful artwork by local artist Sarahlaine Calva.
• We were selected as one of 65 sites to host a NC Statewide Star Party by the NC Science Festival. The event was produced with assistance from NC Central University’s Department of Mathematics and Physics and the Chapel Hill Area Astronomical and Observational Society (CHAOS).
  
• Our maintenance staff repaired the gravel drives at West Point on the Eno, Twin Lakes Park and Lake Michie.
• At the Environmental Education Pavilion (EEP) at West Point on the Eno, staff conducted their first controlled burn to begin the process of restoring the habitat around the EEP to a field of native Piedmont Prairie.
• The Bull City Roller Derby team taught a class to the MyDurham participants, along with helping to maintain the Futsal Court area. The Bull City Roller Derby team uses the gym and Futsal Court for practices in exchange for their volunteer services, as part of the departments Facility & Field Fee Waiver Program. 
• We welcomed a new mascot, Parkson Rex, to the department who took over for the previous mascots, Earl and Pearl.

City of Durham, you have our commitment to continue engaging with you, listening to you, and to continue working with you to make Durham the best it can be. Thank you for letting us be a part of your life by connecting the whole community to wellness, the outdoors, and lifelong learning! We look forward to seeing what is in store for years to come!