Hoffman Estates Park District to receive pair of statewide honors at Best of the Best Gala
The Hoffman Estates Park District and its partners will receive two prestigious statewide awards at the Illinois Association of Park Districts Best of the Best Awards Gala Friday, Oct. 9, at Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling.
Resident Oluremi Odediran will receive the Outstanding Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of her dedicated community service.
She contributes more than 130 hours to the park district each year, assisting staff on daily recreation operations, marketing support, facility operations and local ecological initiatives.
Ascension St. Alexius, the nonprofit medical center in Hoffman Estates, will receive the Partnership Award in recognition of its more than 20-year alliance with the park district.
The hospital’s collaboration with the parks has provided more than $1.3 million to deliver free clinical services, health screenings and accessible wellness events to the Hoffman Estates community.
Hoffman Estates Park District Executive Director Craig Talsma expressed his appreciation for the dual recognition by the association.
“We are deeply honored to see both Oluremi and Ascension recognized at the state level by IAPD,” he said in a statement. “Our agency relies heavily on the passion of our volunteers and the strength of our community partners. Oluremi’s selfless dedication and Ascension’s unwavering commitment to community wellness embody the very best of Hoffman Estates. These awards are a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together.”
Since May 2022, Odediran has demonstrated her unwavering community spirit through the park district. A mother of four who moved to the U.S. from Nigeria, she volunteers during the school year at the Triphahn Center & Ice Arena to support administrative operations, recreation programs and special events like Winterfest, Unplug Illinois Day and Kids to Parks Day.
Odediran also takes part in such environmental initiatives as Earth Day cleanups and seed bombing. Her tireless service previously earned her two “Best of Hoffman” awards from the park district’s board of commissioners.
Recently renewed through July 2029, the 21-year-old partnership between the park district and Ascension St. Alexius bridges public recreation and clinical healthcare.
Ascension serves as the title sponsor for HEParks’ Community Fitness Days and Kids to Parks Day, helping eliminate cost barriers to healthcare for thousands of residents.
Clinicians regularly conduct free monthly blood pressure checks, flu vaccination clinics, senior health seminars and athletic safety education for youth sports coaches and parents.
Odediran and representatives of Ascension will be present to receive their awards along with fellow honorees from across Illinois at the gala in Wheeling. The annual event celebrates individuals and agencies that go above and beyond to enrich the quality of life in their communities.