12:48 p.m. April 6, 2013
Great Smoky Mountains Association receives 6 Public Lands awards

GATLINBURG, TN -- Great Smoky Mountains Association recently received two first-place prizes and six honorable mentions at the 2013 Media and Partnership Awards competition conducted by the Association of Partners for Public Lands in Portland, Oregon.

First-place winners were the Association’s Bearpaw newsletter, which is distributed twice a year to its more than 12,000 members, and “Passing It On,” a digital storytelling project conducted by GSMA, the National Park Service, and teachers and students from schools located near the park.

The judges said of the Bearpaw, “a particularly fine example of a membership publication that has broad appeal.” Their comments on “Passing It On” included “The best of the best. It is very creative and innovative. A fantastic and engaging educational program.” The digital storytelling project challenged school kids to make videos of their grandparents and other people with first hand knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountains during the first part of the 20th century.

The Association received honorable mentions for:

• Family Fun in the Smokies guidebook, visitor guides category
• Hike the Smokies - FOR FAMILIES! hikers’ log book and rewards program, partnership category
• Smokies Guide park newspaper, informational publications category
• Great Smoky Mountains Video Sampler DVD, electronic media category
• The Kephart Knife, theme category
• Smokies Life Magazine, membership category

Since its inception in 1953, Great Smoky Mountains Association has supported the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by promoting greater public understanding and appreciation through education, interpretation and research. A non-profit organization, GSMA has provided more than $30 million to the park during its 60-year history.

Support for the Association comes primarily from online and visitor center sales of educational products and membership dues. Anyone wishing to enhance their Smokies experience is encouraged to become a member.

More information about GSMA products and membership opportunities can be found on Facebook, www.SmokiesInformation.org, or by calling 888-898-9102.

Published April 6, 2013