Bartlett turtle race winner donates prize to park district

Bartlett residents celebrate Independence Day the traditional day.

They grill meat. They shoot fireworks. They race plastic turtles.

For the past five years, the Turbo Turtle Race fundraiser has attracted crowds at the park district's Fourth of July Festival. Racers sponsor one of 1,000 turtles, which are launched into a pool of water with a modified front-end loader on the end of a tractor. The wind blows the turtles to the end of the pool, more than 25 yards, and down a chute. The race has raised about $13,000 over the last five years.

Though his green turtle - No. 513 - won this year's race, Mike Williams of Carol Stream proved he's no Grinch. Williams has decided to donate the $1,000 prize to the Bartlett Parks Foundation. The group, established in 2000, helps fund scholarships and the nature center, among other charitable endeavors.

This isn't Williams' first act of goodwill for the park district. The fix isn't in, but Williams also serves as a foundation trustee who helped organized the park district's college student art competitions held in 2006 and 2007. Williams is an architect by trade.

"In a time when prices are going out of control for energy, gas and basically everything else, there are still those that are thinking about others before themselves, and Mike is that guy," said Stephanie FitzSimons, marketing manager for the park district.