What began as mentoring teens in a run-down skatepark has become one of Pennsylvania’s most inspiring community transformations. This year, that journey is being honored statewide. On Friday, July 18, Dave Kratz, Executive Director of Free Fall Action Sports in Quakertown, will be named the 2025 GOOD Job! Award recipient by the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society (PRPS).
Presented annually, the GOOD Job! Award recognizes individuals whose work in recreation and community building has made a meaningful and lasting impact. Kratz’s story is a powerful example of what happens when someone sees potential where others may see nothing at all.
Kratz embodies the very spirit of this award. What began in 2008 as an effort to support youth at a crumbling skatepark has grown into a movement for community connection and empowerment. His leadership spans nearly two decades, as a local pastor, he started mentoring teens who gathered at an aging skatepark. His vision led to the creation of Free Fall Action Park, the first skatepark in Bucks County that features a traditional pool, street section, and a 100-foot bowl with lights.
Ashton Miller, Director of Parks and Recreation for the Borough of Quakertown, nominated Kratz for the GOOD Job! Award after witnessing the deep and lasting impact he’s had on the community. “Dave’s impact lives in concrete and conversation, in every student who found belonging at the park and left with a deeper sense of self-worth.” she said. “His influence helped young people stay in school, resist addiction, discover talents, and believe they mattered. Former students describe Free Fall as their grounding force. One said it’s a “silent reminder to be a good person.”
The GOOD Job! Award aims to spotlight the positive influence parks and recreation professionals have on their communities. Kratz is well loved and respected by all of his peers and students, standing out as a true hero to the Quakertown community. He demonstrates the power of stepping up when a community needs it most and how far people can go when they feel supported by those around them.
Aaron Brezner, a longtime Free Fall student and intern since 2015, shares in the documentary Pipe Dream: The Story of Free Fall how transformative the space and Kratz’s leadership has been. “We were watching that place become a home, one that had been neglected and ignored for years,” he says. Like many others, Brezner found more than just a skatepark at Free Fall; he found a mentor and father figure in Dave Kratz.
About Pennsylvania’s Parks and Park & Recreation Professionals Day
Pennsylvania is home to more than 6,500 local and state parks. The typical park and recreation agency in the Commonwealth manages more than 19 parks and offers 175+ recreational programs. Together these agencies employ more than 8,000 people and engage more than 2,000 volunteers each year. Park and Recreation Professionals Day honors the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide the high-quality programs and facilities communities desire. This year, Park & Recreation Professional Day falls on Friday, July 18.