The Allen Parks and Recreation Department was named the winner of the distinguished 2019 Lone Star Programming Award for the Ford Pool Loyalty Card program from the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) at the organization's annual statewide Institute and Expo.
The Lone Star Programming award recognizes innovative and effective recreation programs that are offered for the first time throughout the entire state of Texas.
The Ford Pool Loyalty Card program was created to reward guests for attending 18 new special events that were offered weekly throughout Summer 2018 at Ford Pool, including a Tie-Dye Day where guests got to enjoy tie-dye snow cones and use tie-dye stations to color t-shirts, a World Record Day that included attempts to break Guinness World Records at the pool, and a Backyard Olympics day where guests got to compete as teams in yard games such as cornhole, giant Jenga and ladder toss.
Participants could get their free Ford Pool Loyalty Card stamped at every loyalty card program special event they attended, and for every three stamps that an individual received, they were rewarded with a free swim pass for the Summer 2019 season at Ford Pool, and everyone who attended all 18 events received a free 2019 Ford Pool season pass. Despite record heat throughout the summer, the program helped increase the attendance and awareness of Ford Pool, while also being cost-effective and revenue-generating.
The Allen Parks and Recreation Department won the award for Class II, which includes all Texas cities with a population of 75,001 to 200,000.
TRAPS is a professional organization dedicated to providing education, advocacy and resources to all who enhance the quality of life through parks, open spaces and recreation.