St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department Celebrates Maintenance Division’s Success in 2025 Turf Rodeo

26 June 2025
Category: SJC News Parks and Recreation
Tags: 2025

Maintenance Division’s Success in 2025 Turf Rodeo

St. Johns County maintenance workers won first place overall

At the regular meeting of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on June 17, the St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department formally recognized the success of its Maintenance Division at the Florida Recreation and Park Association’s 2025 Turf Rodeo in Clay County.

The annual event, also known as the Park Maintenance Workshop and Skills Challenge, was held on March 20 and featured 10 specialized challenges designed to test maintenance workers’ skills in areas such as equipment operation, irrigation, storm preparation, and more. The SJC Parks and Recreation Maintenance Division claimed first place overall, a resounding triumph that speaks to the teamwork and expertise of everyone involved.

“We appreciate the team’s work, and them taking their jobs seriously while enjoying going out and competing against other counties to recognize St. Johns County as the best Parks and Recreation Maintenance Division in the region,” Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Kane said.

St. Johns County’s team beat six other teams from Parks and Recreation departments across North Florida and received certificates for two hours of training during the event.

Notable individual achievements included Cade Philips and Bobby Whitty winning first place in the Field Lining Relay, Charles Baker winning first place in the Soccer Ball Blower Maze, and Austin DeGrande and Tanner McMillan winning first place in the Lawnmower Race. Alongside these first-place achievements, St. Johns County maintenance workers won second place in four events and third place in five.

The team’s triumph at the Clay County Fairgrounds is a great reminder of the high-level work they do every day to maintain St. Johns County’s 104 parks, 34 playgrounds, 134 athletic fields, 97 courts, 13 boat ramps, eight community centers, and 42 miles of beaches.