The Honor Is All Ours

For 50 years, Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District Commissioners have dedicated themselves to creating some of the best possible parks and recreational facilities for the Boca Raton community.

The results of those efforts have not gone unnoticed – or unrewarded.

District-owned or funded properties consistently win awards for their amenities. 

Sugar Sand Park is among the most acclaimed attractions in South Florida. In 2007 the National Park and Recreation Association named Sugar Sand one of the “Best of the Best Parks” in the country. 

The Science Explorium has earned South Florida Parenting Magazine's Kid's Crown Award for best Palm Beach County indoor attraction and the Best Overall Park/Play Area. The Science Playground has claimed the Gold Award for Best Playground, and in 2004 the park itself won the Gold Award for Best Outdoor Fun. Trusted parenting site Winnie.com also presented Sugar Sand with its Fun in the Sun Award for being the best outdoor play space. Mommy Poppins, a site that specializes in helping parents find activities for their children, named the Sugar Sand community center “South Florida's Best Kept Secret.” 

A few years ago Sugar Sand Park ranked No. 1 on Trip Advisor's “Things To Do in Boca Raton” list. (It currently stands at No. 3). The current list also includes District-funded Red Reef Park (No. 5), Sugar Sand Park's Children's Science Explorium (No. 7), and Patch Reef Park (No. 19).

The District-funded Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is currently picked as Trip Advisor's No. 1 destination in Boca Raton. Called a “Wonderful free educational activity for all ages” by one reviewer, praise is nothing new for Gumbo Limbo. 

In 1995 the nature center won the Howland Award for Urban Enhancement, presented by the National League of Cities. Winnie.com tabbed Gumbo Limbo with its Feed Your Brain Award for best children's museum.

Former District Commissioner Gordon Gilbert, the driving force behind Gumbo Limbo's creation, received the Florida Community Education Foundation's Multi-Agency Funding Award in 1984. One dozen years later, Gilbert received The Exchange Club of Boca Raton's highest award – The Book of Golden Deeds.

The District's enjoyed smashing success when creating tennis facilities. In 1988, shortly after its opening, the Patch Reef Tennis Center received a national award from the United States Tennis Association, which called it “One of the outstanding public tennis facilities in the nation.”

Not to be outdone, the Boca Raton Swim and Racquet Center received two USTA awards. In 2005 the USTA named the Racquet Club an “Outstanding Facility of the Year” based on its overall layout and adaptation to the site, excellence of courts, accommodations for players and other criteria. In 2021 the USTA presented the newly renovated Racquet Center with an Outstanding Facility Award, noting the expanded facilities, locker rooms, bathrooms, meeting rooms, pro shop and increased parking. 

Both the Racquet Club and Patch Reef Tennis Center are frequent sites for tournaments that draw national and even international competitors – particularly among juniors. 

“It just goes to show that the Beach and Park District builds nothing but premier properties, and being recognized by the USTA for two of those is certainly the diamond in our crown,” District Commissioner and avid tennis player Bob Rollins said.

In the early 1990s Patch Reef Park's athletic fields drew national attention when the NAIA awarded the College of Boca Raton's (Now Lynn University) soccer team a “home” playoff game played at the still relatively young park. The following year the NAIA held both its men's and women's championships at Patch Reef.

Some 40 years after Patch Reef opened the District opened Ocean Strand, a natural park located on A1A between Spanish River Blvd. and Palmetto Park Rd. This youngest sibling is already following in the footsteps of its older brothers and sisters. Despite its youth Ocean Strand became a finalist in the 2024 Perk Your Park competition.

Even the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District as a whole has earned national acclaim. In 2008 the National Park and Recreation Association presented the District with the Outstanding Board Commission Award based on the totality of its work.

While current District Commissioners are pleased with the past recognition, they're focused on continuing to create great environments for families, athletes and all members of the Boca Raton Community to enjoy.

“The Commissioners who came before us built a winning foundation,” District Chair Erin Wright said. “We believe some of our upcoming projects will set the bar even higher. That's what the Boca Raton community deserves.”