NORTH FORK POOL, PARK & REC WINS COLORADO LOTTERY STARBURST AWARD FOR NEW PAONIA TENNIS COURTS
DENVER, Oct. 14, 2014 – The Colorado Lottery will present a 2014 Starburst Community Award to the North Fork Pool, Park and Recreation District for using Lottery funds to replace the Apple Valley Park tennis courts. The dilapidated 40 year-old courts received a major facelift last year with the help of a Lottery-funded Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant worth $140,297.
The award will be presented Wednesday, Oct. 15 at the tennis courts.
The courts, located on Pan American Avenue right along Minnesota Creek in Paonia, have been well-used in Apple Valley Park by senior citizens and high school teams since the 1970s. Maintenance prolonged the life of the old courts, but players have been reluctant to use them in recent years because of the badly cracked surface. The project includes new 10-foot fences and gates, and post-tensioned slab concrete which will eliminate shifting and cracking.
Upon completion of the new tennis courts, players have come back to Apple Valley Park and helped establish the first Cherry Days Tennis Tournament in July.
The Colorado Lottery Starburst Community Awards recognize excellence in the use of Lottery proceeds in community projects implemented to enhance a community’s environment.
In Fiscal Year 2014 alone, the Lottery distributed $130.1 million in proceeds. Since its creation 31 years ago, the Lottery has returned more than $2.7 billion back into the state of Colorado.
Lottery proceeds are distributed to three primary beneficiaries: GOCO, Conservation Trust Fund and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. These organizations then provide grants and direct funding for parks, recreation, open space acquisition, trails, and wildlife and conservation education.
Tags: Colorado, GOCO, lottery, NFPPRD, North Fork Pool, Paonia, Park and Recreation District
