Fostering Regional Cooperation with the City of St. Louis

On Thursday, May 11, FOCUS St. Louis presented their What's Right with the Region awards to 20 incredible organizations, initiatives and individuals. Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation & Forestry were honored to be among them, receiving an award in the Fostering Regional Cooperation category.

Forest Park Forever President & Executive Director Lesley S. Hoffarth and Director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry Greg Hayes were on hand to accept the award and share the stage with awardees from Affton School District, Normandy Schools Collaborative and Veterans Business Resource Center. 

The public/private partnership between the City and Forest Park Forever has become a national model, with cities around the country taking interest and calling for advice. The work that the City and Forest Park Forever have accomplished over the last three decades has drastically improved the Park in myriad ways. Major transformations to iconic structures like the World’s Fair Pavilion are top of mind for many, but there have also been incredible efforts to maintain the Park as a natural haven and home for healthy living — improving the health and biodiversity of the landscapes through sustainable environmental practices and maintaining the recreational paths so runners, walkers and cyclists can stay in shape. The City of St. Louis and FPF continue working together every day to make sure the Park continues this upward trajectory and maintains its status as the region’s greatest civic treasure, forever.

Thanks to FOCUS St. Louis, you can learn more about each of the winners in the Fostering Regional Cooperation category in the video below!

---