The Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) will present Ellie Leonard with the 2017 Outstanding Youth Leadership Award at the annual OPRA Awards Dinner on January 30 at the Kalahari Conference Center.
Leonard made history by finalizing the first-ever nationally recognized commemorative Girl Scout hiking trail dedicated to Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. She also earned her Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. The trail is particularly special because Toledo was the first registered Girl Scout council in the U.S. Almost 500 people came to support the dedication of the trail.
Leonard believes strongly in creating opportunities for everyone to experience the outdoors. Even though the project is complete, she has plans to enhance the accessibility through the installation of benches and other amenities.
“I grew up loving the outdoors, a passion Girl Scouts has fueled,” said Leonard. “I created this trail to inspire people to get outside and connect with nature and to raise awareness about Girl Scouting. I hope to see lots more Girl Scout trails added to parks around the nation!”
Leonard is a graduate of Sylvania Southview High School and a current student at the University of New Hampshire.
Parks and recreation professionals and citizens were nominated by parks and recreation professionals from around the state for the annual OPRA awards.
