South Suburban Parks and Recreation has been recognized by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Parks Association as one of the top four recreation agencies in the United States.

As a finalist among public organizations that serve between 100,000 to 250,000 residents, South Suburban will compete this summer for the two organizations’ highest honor, the Grand Gold Medal.

Every year, the public recreation industry hosts the Gold Medal Award competition to honor recreation programs that demonstrate excellence in such areas as long-range planning, volunteerism, environmental stewardship and professional development.

Each agency or district is judged on its ability to address the needs of the community it serves through the collective efforts of citizens, staff and elected officials. South Suburban is a three-time Grand Gold Medal winner and has been a Gold Medal finalist eight other times.

According to Sue Rosser, a member of the South Suburban Board of Directors, the years of recognition can be tied to the district’s long-term dedication to diverse recreational opportunities.

“We really offer something for everybody,” she said. “We have exercise classes for expectant mothers and for very young children, and on up through every age group, through our very active Senior Sneakers program.”

Rosser says the district’s range of parks, open space and other amenities have also made it unique among similarly-sized tax-supported recreation organizations.

“We have parks that anyone can go to. But we actually have a kind of wilderness area at Cooley Lake in South Platte Park,” she said. “It’s a wilderness area in the metro area. We allow one hike and one canoe trip a month. Other than that, it’s a sanctuary for wildlife.”

The Gold Medal’s 2010 recipients will be announced in October at an industry conference in Minneapolis.