Merrell, an international leader in outdoor footwear, has collaborated with a not-for-profit partner, National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), to announce an annual award – the Changing Nature of Work (CNoW) Award.
“Merrell exists to share the simple power of the outdoors with everyone,” said Elizabeth Czachorski, brand marketing manager at Merrell. “This award, and our overall work with NRPA, helps to build awareness of disparities, advocate for more robust park and recreation systems and bolster the essential role of park and recreation professionals. Our award is another way we can recognize these professionals and the innovative work they are doing for their communities.”
The award honors an individual or team who has shown perseverance at work in the unexpected, ever-changing outdoors. The winner’s work will demonstrate success in the changing nature of outdoor work that impacts the community, environment, or those around them including, but not limited to, persevering in natural disasters; promoting access to parks, shared-use paths and trails, or open spaces; or instituting strategies to enhance personal safety in areas surrounding parks, playground, or trails.
“We are excited to collaborate with our partners at Merrell on the Changing Nature of Work Award to recognize a park and recreation professional who is doing remarkable work in their community,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA President and CEO. “This award program not only celebrates a community hero, but it also brings to life a local project so that more people can experience the power of parks and recreation.”
This is the first award presented by Merrell in partnership with NRPA. The awardee will be sponsored with Merrell gear for one year and will receive $10,000 toward the advancement of a project or effort. The nominee must be affiliated with a local park and recreation agency and be an NRPA member. Submissions will be accepted from September 20 through October 21. The winner will be announced at the end of November.
To receive updates on the nomination process, those interested are encouraged to submit an email here: https://bit.ly/3BPGGzg.
For more information on Merrell, visit merrell.com. For more information on NRPA, visit nrpa.org.
