Nontraditional Recreation: Model Airplane Flying Sites

When Salt Lake City, Utah, learned that it was chosen to host
the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the city realized that with
such an enormous undertaking, it could not also host the 2002
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress
the same year. The NRPA Congress attracts 10,000 people annually
from around the world. A host city was needed to pick up the ball.
Through the efforts of Tampa Recreation Director Joe Abrahams,
Tampa, Florida, was selected to host the event. A committee of
approximately 10 of the local parks and recreation directors was
formed to plan the event. As director of the Pasco County Parks and
Recreation Department, I was honored to be one of the Executive Host
Committee members.