November 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 12

EDITOR'S LET TER

Thank You for Your Service
In honor of Veterans Day on November 11, we proudly devote this
month's issue to the military. As you read through these pages, you'll
learn how park and recreation agencies are giving back to those serving in the armed services, and how they are making a difference in
the lives of our military families.
Our cover story, on page 38, titled " The 2017 DoD Warrior Games
Invade Chicago, " by contributor John Prue, of the Morale, Welfare
& Recreation (MWR) Naval Station in Great Lakes, Illinois, profiles this incredible Paralympic-style sports competition, which took
place this past summer. The " Windy City " hosted the eighth annual
Warrior Games, in which post-9/11 service members and veterans,
who have been seriously wounded, ill or injured, demonstrated their
athletic prowess in a variety of sports, including cycling, track and
field, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, to name a few.
Approximately 265 athletes from the U.S. Army, Navy/Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force
and Special Operation Command teams competed in the games, which also welcomed athletes
from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Although we dedicate this issue to our active and retired service members, we mustn't forget about
their loved ones and the sacrifices they, too, have made to our country. Writers Carol Potter, formerly of MWR Policy, and Matt Enoch, community program coordinator at Fort Riley Family
and MWR, discuss the challenges that military families must endure - and how their experiences
impact their health and wellbeing - when their spouse or parent serving in the armed services is
deployed. The feature, " Healthy Military Families " on page 42, highlights a study showing how
participating in Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities at Fort Riley, Kansas, can help blue
star families, particularly spouses, become more resilient and less stressed when their loved one is
away on active duty.
Next, in this month's Operations article on page 56, contributor Jennifer Bardoni, of Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, offers an inside look
at what it's like to manage recreation programs at a remote location and explains what makes
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay so unique.
For those who couldn't make it to NRPA's Annual Conference last month, please check out our
wrap-up feature on page 46. Also, be sure to mark your calendars for next year's conference, September 25-27, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Lastly, as you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday later this month with your families, please
remember to also give thanks to those brave men and women currently serving in our armed
services.

GINA MULLINS-COHEN
Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Publishing
Editorial Director

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Parks & Recreation

| N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

PRESIDENT AND CEO
Barbara Tulipane, CAE
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING,
COMMUNICATIONS AND
PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR
Gina Mullins-Cohen
gcohen@nrpa.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Sonia Myrick
smyrick@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Cort Jones
cjones@nrpa.org
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR
Catrina Belt
cbelt@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Creative By Design
www.creativebydesign.net
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE
Kip Ongstad
703.858.2174
kongstad@nrpa.org
SALES MANAGER
WESTERN REGION AND ASIA
Michelle Dellner
949.248.1057
mdellner@nrpa.org
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Keith Anderson
Gerald Brown
Ernest Burkeen
Brendan Daley
Anthony-Paul Diaz
Ryan Eaker
Robert García
Kathleen Gibi
Sandra Gonzales
Tim Herd
Brian Johnson
Todd Lehman
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis
Gil Peñalosa
Vic Richard
Dr. Kevin Riley
Karla Rivera
Paula Sliefert
Anne-Marie Spencer
Stephen Springs
Randy Wiger
November 2017 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2017 - Parks & Recreation
