Wheaton parks honored for volunteer, arts program

The Wheaton Park District recently received two Best of the Best awards from the Illinois Association of Park Districts, honors celebrating the park district's commitment to the arts and recognizing the contributions of a volunteer.

The Wheaton Park District was given the Helen Doria Arts in the Park award. The park district offers a breadth of arts programming and events to the community and beyond.

The artistic endeavors aim to go beyond entertaining to become an invitation to a richer and more thoughtful way of looking at the world through music, dance, theater, visual art, fashion and more.

Highlights of the park district's artistic programming and events include Shakespeare in the Park, a jazz festival, the Wheaton Wine and Cultural Arts Fest, and the "In Vogue … and Out" exhibit at the DuPage County Historical Museum, focusing on the fashions that have come and gone in American culture and how the fashions were shaped by culture.

Longtime Wheaton Park District volunteer Ron Elenbaas received the IAPD Volunteer of the Year award. For 50 years, Elenbaas has served as a baseball and softball equipment manager, creating and maintaining a simple and streamlined process for managing incoming and outgoing equipment.

Elenbaas began managing equipment for Wheaton baseball in 1963 and has been the only equipment manager the district has ever known. As a volunteer, he has often donated up to 600 hours a year toward the recreational cause.

"I'm 74 years old. This is the perfect opportunity for me to stay connected to the community," Elenbaas said. "It's been very rewarding."

The district asked Elenbaas and his family to serve as grand marshals in Wheaton's 2014 Fourth of July parade, representing the volunteers like Elenbaas who contribute to the success of the district and the community.

Wheaton park commissioners are considering naming a ball field after Elenbaas in 2015.

For information about the Wheaton Park District, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com.