Toledo Parks and Youth Services Featured in Governor’s Award Video, Finalist for Top State Honor

Toledo Parks and Youth Services will take the spotlight at the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association conference on Feb. 3 as a finalist for the Governor’s Award, one of the state’s highest honors in parks and recreation. The department earned this recognition after winning first place in the Health and Wellness Programs and Events category for One Pill Can Kill. One Voice Can Save a Life, making Toledo one of just three programs competing for the Governor’s Award.

As part of the final judging process, OPRA Executive Director Woody Woodward and videographer Beth Ashbrook visited Toledo to film a competition video featuring the program. The Governor’s Award is selected from first-place winners across Ohio and honors the most impactful parks and recreation program in the state.

“This is the first time in the city’s history that our parks system has won first place,” Jacqueline Johnson, outreach and special events manager for Toledo Parks and Youth Services, said. “Once you win first place, you are placed among the best programs in Ohio. Being named a finalist for the Governor’s Award is an incredible honor.”

Johnson said the initiative was deeply personal and driven by a need to elevate conversations around fentanyl and substance misuse, especially among young people.

“One pill can kill,” Johnson said. “A pill that is not prescribed to you, even one given by a friend, can be deadly. Our kids are walking through this every day, and we are not talking about it enough.”

The program was developed in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and designed to be led by youth for youth, using Toledo parks as a familiar and trusted setting. DEA representatives provided training, educational materials, and resources that helped shape the program’s structure and messaging.

Joe Fausnaugh, director of Toledo Parks and Youth Services, said advancing to the Governor’s Award finals is a milestone for the department and the city.

“The City of Toledo has never won a first-place OPRA award, let alone been nominated for the Governor’s Award,” Fausnaugh said. “To be named a finalist for the best program in the entire state is incredibly exciting. Even if we do not win, this is something our entire team should be proud of.”

Youth Advisory Board members were central to the program’s success, helping shape the message and deliver it to their peers.

Daveion Beach, a community response specialist with Toledo Parks and Youth Services, said involving youth from the start was intentional and critical.

“We wanted youth to come up with the presentation after being trained on drug abuse and how it affects their community,” Beach said. “They felt encouraged and empowered to address issues they see every day, whether it is drugs or other challenges.”

Cora Pearson, president of the Youth Advisory Board and a student at St. Ursula Academy, said participating in the program changed how she viewed her own ability to create impact.

“It showed me that having passion and using your voice really can make a difference,” Pearson said. “Knowing that the work we did might have saved someone’s life is incredibly empowering.”

Angelo Bowman, a Youth Advisory Board member and student at Whitmer High School, said being part of the program gave him confidence to speak out on important issues.

“This program taught me that my voice matters,” Bowman said. “Sharing what I learned with my friends and community made me realize we can really make a difference.”

Toledo Parks and Youth Services staff and youth representatives will attend the OPRA conference on Feb. 3, where the Governor’s Award winner will be announced. Regardless of the outcome, Johnson said the program’s purpose remains clear.

“If one child’s life is saved, then this program is a success,” she said. “That is one family spared years of heartbreak.”

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