The local nonprofit group Friends of Door County Parks recently won the highest award given to a community organization from the Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association, the “Partnership Award.” This award is given in recognition of an organization’s outstanding work and service promoting and providing quality recreation opportunities for community residents and visitors. The Friends of Door County Parks group was founded by former Parks Director George Pinney in 2007, and since then they have raised over $404,000 to protect and preserve the county’s parklands, 2 additional parks have been added to the county parks system, and the total number of park-maintained properties is now up to 21. The group is also a substantial ambassador to the Horseshoe Bay Cave at Frank Murphy Park, and group members volunteer and estimated 214 hours annually hosting those cave tours. The friends group also documents the history of each Door County park, preserving stories like those who perished at Tornado Memorial County Park and the story behind the accessible trail at Ellison Bluff County Park.
To learn more about the Friends of Door County Parks go to https://www.co.door.wi.gov/629/Friends-of-Door-County-Parks
