FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Barry Lawrence
Clerk, Board of Supervisors
PHONE:   501-4318     
July 7, 2010

Henrico wins national award for Harmony Park

Henrico County has received an Achievement awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for their Harmony Park outdoor musical classroom - Virginia's first - located at Colonial Trail Elementary School, featuring weatherproof instruments from Freenotes.

The NACo Achievement Award Program recognizes groundbreaking county government programs annually in a broad range of service areas, including education, administration, parks and recreation, health and human services.

Freenotes handcrafted musical instruments are permanently installed and footed in concrete. The goal is to integrate music and arts education into the core curriculum for all students. These easy to play instruments are based on traditional instruments from Indonesia and Africa and will help students learn about world cultures.

Harmony Park was made possible through donations from the Colonial Trail PTA, Partners in the Arts,Nancy Drainsfield of Landesign of VA and numerous other individuals and organizations who donated both time and money to make this project succeed.

Students at CTES and the community will enjoy Harmony Park in years to come!

The awards continue Henrico county's tradition of providing cutting-edge programs to residents and was presented at the 2010 NACo annual conference, set for July 16-20 in Reno, Nev.