By: Andy Kitzrow,
Wicomico County Recreation Superintendent
Growing up in Wicomico County, I often ventured into our local parks to enjoy the freedoms of adolescence. Whether playing sandlot ball with neighborhood friends in Centennial Village Park, dreaming of world cup glory with teammates at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex each fall or running countless miles of trails in Pemberton Park, there was always a place nearby to play and exercise. It wasn’t until I entered into the field of Recreation & Parks professionally though, that I realized how lucky I was to have these opportunities at my fingertips.
Wicomico County’s park system is recognized throughout the region, and valued at over $45 million. Our parks are distributed geographically throughout the County, providing boat ramps, marinas, parks, playgrounds, sports venues, historic and nature parks, an equestrian center and picnic pavilions. Our parks division maintains 39 sites, totaling 1,423 acres.
In recreation, we utilize these facilities to fulfill our mission, which is to provide educational, social and recreational activities in safe and healthy environments. Our focus is on youth mentoring, crime prevention, lifetime fitness and social connectivity through a dynamic and diverse programming base. Last year, 14,600 individuals took part in over 250 different recreation activities – accounting for more than 332,500 visits to our facilities.
Our park system and recreation offerings did not develop overnight though; they have been 30 years in the making. Over the next few months, I hope to share with you some of the unique stories behind their development and how national and local trends are shaping the future of our recreation offerings.
