By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Alabama Recreation & Parks Association honored multiple Pelham Parks and Rec employees for outstanding work in their community on Friday, Dec. 6.

Jake Dickens won the ARPA District III Merit in Parks Award. Jared Thornton was honored with the ARPA District III Innovative Program of the Year for his “NHL Street” program. Tabitha Dudley was recognized with the ARPA District and State New Professional Award, while Jim Collins won the ARPA Community Service Award for his work with the Pelham Garden Club.

Each of the award winners will move on for consideration at the state level. Brian Cooper, the director of Pelham Parks & Recreation, gave his thoughts on the group that received awards.

“We have a great group who pour their hearts and souls into the programs and events they manage, and it shows up in the quality of those programs and events,” Cooper said. “Them being recognized validates this and inspires us to continue working to reach the high standards that we, and the community, value.”

Cooper believes that the support Pelham Parks and Rec receives from the City Council sets them apart from other cities in District III.

“It takes resources to provide the variety of programs and events that we do and that starts with a council and manager that believes in the value of parks and recreation,” Cooper said. “Not all cities have that level of commitment from the top.”

Cooper then took the time to acknowledge each award winner individually, beginning with Jake Dickens.

“Jake serves in a dual role with us due to the nature of his work schedule and his love for the youth of our community,” Cooper said. “He helps take care of the parks in the early afternoon then supports our athletic division during the evening practices and games. The kids love him.”

Cooper provided insight on Thornton’s program, “NHL Street,” and how it is implemented.

“NHL Street brings a new game to the area which allows kids to try their hand at a sport typically not available to them in the south,” Cooper said. “It is a version of hockey, and this version exposes them to the fundamentals without the use of ice and skates. Once they fall in love with this program, we hope they will get involved with our ice-skating program at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena. We partner with the Birmingham Bulls to help with our clinics and officiating.”

Cooper raved about Dudley’s commitment to Pelham Parks and Recreation, complimenting her work ethic and professionalism.

“Tabitha (Dudley) is a true team player,” Cooper said. “She is the epitome of professionalism. She strives to make things better each day. She is dedicated to both the facility she manages and the employees she supervises.”

Finally, Cooper commended all of the projects the Pelham Garden Club has undertaken to better Pelham as a whole.

“The partnerships we have cultivated with the Pelham Garden Club have been a blessing to the department and the community,” Cooper said. “They have adopted the Destiny Garden. They installed bluebird houses to create a bluebird habitat trail. They have led two cleanups of the creek at (Pelham) City Park. They have removed many invasive species of plants along the creek and planted native species in their place, along with identification markers to educate the public, and more.”

Cooper believes that the awards his department received are a testament to its unparalleled work ethic.

“The awards are a byproduct of the vision we have for what parks and recreation should be for the Pelham community,” Cooper said. “We have the best team I have ever worked with. They care. They strive to be great. Status quo isn’t good enough. We don’t do things simply because that is the way we have always done them. We want to bring quality to the citizens. We want to give them a reason to stay in town or to visit our town. We want to be the reason that Pelham is a Path Apart.”

For more information on the award winners and Pelham Parks and Recreation, visit Pelhamalabama.gov.