Member to Member Missouri's Mane Event The Missouri Park and Recreation Association finds a creative way to fund continuing education scholarships for its members By Sarah Veile A couple of years ago, the Missouri Park and Recreation Association's (MPRA) leadership set out to help longtime members and friends give back to their profession and show gratitude for benefits they received throughout their careers. MPRA formed a committee and launched a survey to determine how best to help the next generation of park professionals in their communities. When all the information was in the results were clear: Members wanted additional educational opportunities. To address that request, the MPRA Board of Directors approved the establishment of a new Education Fund. With a clear direction in mind, the committee set out to raise 20 2 0 Parks P Park Pa ark ks & R Re Recreation ecr c re ea attiion on money for several endowed scholarships that would cover the costs of the annual MPRA conference and other educational opportunities throughout the year. | J U LY 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G Roscoe Righter (left) and Gary Gates (right) sacrificed their locks for the cause.