Mundelein Park District receives three state awards

Posted November 09, 2021 10:00 pm

Receiving the IAPD Best Friend of Illinois Parks-Business Award, from left, front row: MPRD Planning Development & Administration Manager Tracie Ouimet, RUSH Physical Therapy Market Manager Jacob Livingston, RUSH Physical Therapy Vice President of Operations Julie Plautz and RUSH Physical Therapy Patient Service Specialist Cheryl Perrin; back row: IAPD Chairman Mike Vogl, MPRD Executive Director Ron Salski and IAPD President Peter Murphy. Courtesy of the Mundelein Park & Recreation District

Submitted by the Mundelein Park & Recreation District

Mundelein Park & Recreation District received three Illinois Association of Park Districts Best of the Best Awards at their 2021 Awards Gala on Oct. 15.

The award categories were Best Friend of Illinois Parks-Business, Partnership, and Outstanding Citizen Volunteer of the Year.

The Best Friend of Illinois Parks is awarded to a business or corporation that has demonstrated exemplary support of a local park district, forest preserve, conservation, recreation or special recreation agency.

The district's partnership with RUSH Physical Therapy helped provide the necessary funding for interior improvements to the park district's community center, increased fitness center memberships by 25% and provided half of the budget to build a new digital roadside marquee that is a major communication tool with the park district's community.

With the onset of the pandemic, issues in Mundelein's veteran community have become more pronounced.

In response, Mundelein Park and Recreation District bolstered their partnership with AllenForce, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a successful transition for veterans through health, fitness, and recreation by offering online and remote options for engagement within the veteran community through the Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies program.

This initiative enhances HMHB members' quality of life and would not have been achievable without this partnership.

Mundelein Park & Recreation District received the Partnership Award for this boosted relationship, which recognizes nongovernmental organizations that have collaborated with a park district, forest preserve, conservation, recreation or special recreation agency in a significant manner.

The Mundelein Historical Commission - Michael Flynn, Wendy Frasier, Gary Gunther, Shawn Killackey, Vern Lappe, John Schockmel, and Anne Walker - were recognized as Outstanding Citizen(s) Volunteer of the Year for their work at the park district's Mundelein Heritage Museum.

During the last couple of years, commission members cataloged every artifact in the collection and reorganized, updated, and refocused the displays on the "History of Mundelein."

Thanks to the commission, the museum is open to the public two days a week and to private group tours by appointment. Their efforts continue to preserve Mundelein's history and make it available to the community.

IAPD winners were selected from entries submitted throughout the state recognizing the "Best of the Best" park districts, forest preserves, conservation, recreation, and special recreation agencies in eight categories.

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Receiving the IAPD Citizen of the Year Award, from left, front row: MPRD Board Treasurer Bob Knudson, Wendy Frasier of the Mundelein Historical Commission, Mundelein Mayor Steve Lentz and MPRD Executive Director Ron Salski; back row: IAPD Chairman Mike Vogl, MPRD Commissioner Jesus Ortega, MPRD Board President Wallace Frasier, MPRD Commissioner Kevin Dolan and IAPD President Peter Murphy. Courtesy of the Mundelein Park & Recreation District

Receiving the IAPD Partnership Award, from left, front row: USMC veteran Larry Krog, MPRD HMHB Coordinator Christine Lopez, AllenForce trainer Jon Kahney, and MPRD Executive Director Ron Salski; back row: IAPD Chairman Mike Vogl, MPRD Board Treasurer Bob Knudson, MPRD Commissioner Jesus Ortega, MPRD Board President Wallace Frasier, MPRD Commissioner Kevin Dolan and IAPD President Peter Murphy. Courtesy of the Mundelein Park & Recreation District

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