Though the Lighthouse Project, whose mission is to create a child-honoring community, has only been in existence for just over two years, they have already claimed a statewide honor—that of the Champion of the Community Award from the California Recreation and Park Society. The award, which was applied for by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District on behalf of the non-profit, went to the Lighthouse Project’s Move a Million Miles for Ryan Hall campaign, in which the Big Bear community moved over a million miles in just eight months’ time in support of local Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall. The free Move a Million Miles effort included over 3,300 participants, who walked, ran, skied, paddled and pedaled their way toward achievement of the community goal before presenting Hall with the mileage in a community send-off before he left for Beijing in August. All this community spirit, in addition to red “Run Ryan Run” hat Fridays, earned the Lighthouse Project the Champion of the Community Award. When Rec and Park’s Reese Troublefield and Lorie Judd accepted the award on behalf of the Lighthouse Project at this month’s statewide Recreation and Park convention in Santa Clara, they report that the entire crowd gasped at Big Bear’s achievement. The prestigious award has since been presented to the Lighthouse Project’s founder Tim Wood and Director Beth Gardner during the Rec and Park Advisory Commission meeting on March 17, during which time Troublefield said, “We are very proud and lucky to have you as a partner.” The Lighthouse Project plans to continue the momentum of their Million Miles campaign when, on May 16, they host Run Ryan’s Run around Big Bear Lake. [Update: The run has since been pushed back to 2010.]
