The Montgomery County Department of Recreation (Rec) earned five 2017 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards recognize innovative county government programs. The Department of Recreation received five of the 16 NACo awards in the Parks and Recreation category.

100 Mile Challenge: The 100 Mile Challenge urges residents to walk, jog, or run 100 miles in 100 days from Jan. 21-April 29, 2017. Twenty minutes of any continuous physical activity counts as one mile as well, expanding the types of exercise people can do to participate in the Challenge. Three hundred ninety individuals registered for the program, which includes kick-off and closing events.

Food, Fun, Fitness and Fundamentals: Food, Fun, Fitness and Fundamentals provides a free, full-day quality day care program, meals, snacks, swimming and academic support for children from qualified low-income families of the county on weekdays for six summer weeks. The program is sponsored by Rec in partnership with Adventist Community Health Care.

Chill: Chill is a youth development program for children between 10 and 18 years old from qualified low-income families. Once a week for six weeks, 40 students travel to Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, Pa., for snowboarding, with all required equipment and instruction provided by the program. During each trip to the resort, students discuss a critical life lesson: respect, patience, persistence, courage, responsibility or pride. On the final day of the program, students discuss how the program made a difference in their lives. This program is a partnership between Rec and The Chill Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the Burton Snowboard Company.

Safe Walk Home: The Safe Walk Home program involves student volunteers from a local high school escorting elementary school students to their home after school. The program helps create a safe, bully-free environment, discourages risky and negative behavior, and allows the high school students to build relationships and mentor the younger students while ensuring they had a safe journey. The program was started by Rec in response to concerns of parents from the Montgomery Village community in Gaithersburg.

Tech Connect: Senior citizens are taught how to use electronic communications technology and social media by high school students through Tech Connect, a free program from Rec. The high school students receive training from the Jewish Council for the Aging and are paid an hourly wage for their work. Both the seniors and student trainers gained valuable insight from the intergenerational experience.

For more information about Montgomery County Department of Recreation programs and services, visit www.montgomeryCountymd.gov/rec or call 240-777-6840.