COLUMBUS, OH - Cleveland-based Sherwin Williams Corporation, Nelsonville-based Rocky Outdoor Gear, and Xanterra Parks & Resorts have received the first-ever “Ohio State Parks Make It Possible...You Make It Happen” Partnership Awards.
The awards were presented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) as part of a two-day public-private forum held at Mohican State Park in Ashland County. The partnership program is designed to build strong, sustainable relationships with private business organizations that have a common interest in helping the state park system continue to provide quality outdoor recreational experiences.
“The future of our award-winning state parks will depend to a great extent on our ability to renew old business partnerships and build new ones,” said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. “With the support of our corporate and business partners, we will continue to provide the kind of outdoor experiences Ohio’s families have come to expect from our park system.”
Rocky Outdoor Gear of Nelsonville was recognized for its donation of $16,000 and other financial considerations to Hocking Hills State Park. The donation enabled the park to print 60,000 trail maps for the park - a popular hiking and trail-riding destination. In addition, the company has contributed more than $3,500 in prizes to the park’s friends group for various special events and fundraisers, and was a sponsor of the Hocking Valley Bird Trail.
Sherwin-Williams Corporation of Cleveland has partnered with Malabar Farm State Park for more than 10 years on a variety of restoration and remodeling projects. The company has contributed significant amounts of paint and other materials used in restoring and maintaining the park’s many buildings and facilities. The company has committed to providing paint and other decorating materials for the new visitor education center that is under construction at Malabar.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, an international hospitality company that oversees operations at seven of the nine Ohio State Park resort lodges, was recognized for its continuing advocacy and support of the park system. Over the years, the company has provided in-kind support to many state park managers, striving for excellence in day-to-day operations of the Xanterra-managed lodges at Salt Fork, Burr Oak, Shawnee, Hueston Woods, Maumee Bay, Mohican and Punderson state parks.
Each of Ohio’s 74 state parks offers a distinctive recreational experience, attracting more than 50 million visitors each year to facilities across the state. A major contributor to Ohio’s travel and tourism industry, the park system pumps about $1billion into Ohio’s economy annually.