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The original item was published from 11/7/2019 11:49:35 AM to 11/7/2021 12:05:00 AM.

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Posted on: November 7, 2019

[ARCHIVED] Kenosha County receives Silver Star Award for Boundless Adventures Partnership

Boundless Adventures course

The Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association has selected Kenosha County’s partnership with Boundless Adventures in Bristol Woods Park as the winner of the 2019 Silver Star Award for creative service delivery and marketing.

Kenosha County will be recognized today at the WPRA’s annual conference in the Wisconsin Dells.

The Silver Star Award is a highly competitive award for Wisconsin park and recreation programs. The entries are judged based on five essential criteria including: goals and objectives, participation, operational efficiency, creativity and innovation, and marketing.

Finalists and winners of the WPRA Silver Star Awards are selected each year by a distinguished panel of recreation professionals who have expertise in the field of recreation service delivery. Kenosha County will be honored with a plaque and the opportunity to present the program to other municipalities at the annual conference.

“When we decided to team up with Boundless Adventures last year, we set out to provide our residents and visitors with a recreational opportunity unique to the Midwest,” said Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser. “It has proved to be a highly successful partnership, and it’s great to receive this distinguished statewide recognition.”

Now concluding its first season of operations in Kenosha County, Boundless Adventures provides a unique draw to regional visitors within the Chicago-Milwaukee metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately 9.9 million residents.

Kenosha County Parks Director Matthew Collins said that due to its uniqueness, the aerial ropes course within Bristol Woods Park has drawn more people into Bristol Woods Park who would have otherwise not be acclimated to the natural features within the park.

“Boundless Adventures offers a creative way to connect youth to nature and to get the next generation outside and active within the park system,” Collins said.

Collins added that Boundless Adventures has demonstrated exceptional stewardship of the premise by consulting and hiring third-party arborists to minimize adverse disturbance to Bristol Woods Park, which is a highly sensitive natural area. Pringle Nature Center has also partnered with Boundless Adventures to offer natural resource based classes to expand its programs which will contribute to the nonprofit’s financial stability.  

The public-private partnership also allowed the county to provide additional special events and programming. Within the agreement, the county is able to allow local organizations to climb for free during events. Various organizations have hosted special climb for free events including veterans and active military, Summer Youth Employment Program and the Boys and Girls Club.

Lorrie and Brian Funtleyder, who founded Boundless Adventures in New York before expanding it to Massachusetts and Wisconsin, also praised the partnership with Kenosha County.

“Kenosha County has proven to be a great partner, providing support during the construction phase as well as with marketing and public relations,” Lorrie Funtleyder said. “We look forward to sharing our passion for outdoor recreation with Kenosha County, as well as its visitors from the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, for many years to come.”

This is the second time Kenosha County Parks has received the Silver Star Award. The first was in 2016, in recognition of its work with Kenosha County’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

See more details the entire Kenosha County Parks system at parks.kenoshacounty.org or www.facebook.com/kenoshacountyparks. Learn more about Boundless Adventures at https://boundlessadventures.net/wi-park/.

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