Stephanie Walton, chief of marketing & communications
Since the park district’s inception 100 years ago, the people of Summit County have been instrumental to its success in providing clean and safe parks, protecting natural resources and connecting people to nature. As Summit Metro Parks embarks on its centennial year, we are most excited about celebrating this achievement with you — the residents, visitors and partners who help make the park district what it is today. With a variety of engaging opportunities planned for every age, interest and activity level, 2021 is packed with ways to get involved with the centennial events. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Visit the Centennial Website
Visit the centennial website at summitmetroparks100.org to explore plans for the upcoming year and take a journey to the past with an interactive timeline of the park district’s history — complete with vintage photographs, audio recordings and video. This is the perfect place to begin your centennial adventure.
Take the Centennial Tour
Take the Centennial Tour to discover unique park locations throughout Summit County and earn a reward. Your free Centennial Tour pocket guide will be available in March 2021. Then stop by 20 park locations to learn from new interpretive panels about what makes each site a special addition to Summit Metro Parks. Featuring a local artist’s representation of the park district, the brochure will guide you through your expedition by providing park descriptions, addresses and a way to track your progress.
Plant a Centennial Tree
Plant a Centennial Tree to mark the park district’s milestone anniversary. A symbol of the park district’s long-term stability and growth, trees are also vitally important to the environment and our community’s physical and mental health. They provide clean air, wildlife habitat and beautiful forests for everyone to enjoy. For these reasons and more, Summit Metro Parks is celebrating 100 years by creating Centennial Groves throughout the park district, with a goal to reforest 100 acres this year!
Share Your SMP Story
Tell us your SMP story and share how the Metro Parks have had an impact on your life. The parks are firmly woven into the history of Summit County itself, and they have played an important role in many lives over the years. Your personal history is our shared history — tell us what the parks have meant to you or your family and you might be featured online, in the local media or in other future projects.
Participate in a Centennial Program
Participate in a naturalist-led educational program for hands-on learning opportunities about the people who formed the park district, the communities that have benefited from it and the wildlife that call it home.
Show Your SMP Love
Those interested in getting even more involved might consider supporting the park district and ensuring green spaces for future generations by volunteering your time or making a gift to the Summit Metro Parks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to enhance the park district. New this year, park supporters can give a Centennial Tree.
Happy anniversary!
Thank you for joining us in marking this important landmark this year — and stay tuned, as opportunities to participate will continue to be announced throughout 2021.
For more great stories like this, check out Green Islands Magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.