Medford Parks and Recreation Commission Presents 2025 Service Awards
Published on July 21, 2025
Individuals, businesses, and community groups were honored Wednesday at the July 16 City Council Meeting as recipients of this year’s "Friends of Medford Parks and Recreation" awards. The honor recognizes outstanding contributions to parks and recreation initiatives.
2025 Recipients:
Bill Maentz received the Olsrud Family Lifetime Service Award. Maentz is celebrated as the “driving force” behind the Medford Cruise, an annual car event now in its 40th year. Over the decades, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s causes.
James Levingston received the Individual Award. For the past several years, James has typically spent three days a week volunteering at the historic I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery. Since June 2024, he has donated over 320 hours maintaining the grounds—including mowing, weed whacking, and restoring headstones.
Gini Franklin received the Individual Award. Since 2023, Franklin has donated more than 230 hours supporting ongoing park and cemetery maintenance events. She has also spent over 80 hours volunteering on the Santo Community Center grounds, including work in the pollinator garden.
Schmidl Orthodontics received the Business Award. Dr. Dana Schmidl and her practice have generously supported Parks and Recreation programs, notably sponsoring the popular Father-Daughter and Mother-Son dances since 2016.
The Rogue Valley Umpires Association received the Community Service Group Award. Led by commissioner Jerry Eklund, a local umpire with 57 years of experience, the 45 current members covered over 1,700 youth and adult baseball games in the area over the past year, supporting Medford’s sold-out youth tournaments at Lithia & Driveway Fields.
The Southern Oregon Futsal League received the Youth Group/Organization Award. The volunteer coordinated indoor soccer program has offered free or low-cost recreation for over 4,000 youth ages 8 and 19 over the past 15 years. Volunteers Julian Cordle, Scott Stewart, and Chelsea Valdez organized games for 330 kids, primarily from Medford, over the past two years at RogueX.
Beginning in 2005, the awards are presented annually during National Parks and Recreation Month.