Stratford Square wins award for partnership with park district
Stratford Square Mall recently was honored as a Best Friend of Illinois Parks in the large business category by the Illinois Association of Park Districts for its partnership with Bloomingdale Park District.
"On behalf of the Stratford Square Mall merchants, management team and ownership, we are honored to have been chosen as one of the recipients for the IAPD Best Friend of Illinois Parks award," mall General Manager Doug Kiehn said.
"Bloomingdale Park District and Stratford Square Mall have a strong track record of fostering growth in the community, both separately and as a partnership. We are proud of our collaborative relationship with the park district and plan to continue to work together to help increase outreach in Bloomingdale and the surrounding communities."
The park district nominated Stratford Square Mall because of its support, involvement and the impact the business has had on park district residents. The two have developed a mutually beneficial relationship that has exceeded initial expectations, parks officials said.
Stratford has supported and advanced the park district in the following ways:
• The mall renovated and updated an empty store to meet park district regulations and standards. The 3,000-square-foot room serves as additional park district programming space that is convenient for shoppers.
• The mall allows the Bloomingdale Parks Foundation to wrap gifts at the mall every holiday season as a fundraiser. The mall supplies all of the wrapping paper, boxes, tape and supplies.
• Stratford Square has sponsored several park district events, including a platinum sponsorship of the district's Festival of Lights holiday event.
• Stratford has left a legacy in Bloomingdale's park system, contributing the resources necessary to pay for an accessible drinking fountain at Sunnyside Park.
"Our partnership with Stratford Square Mall allows the park district to extend its reach into the community and support Bloomingdale's economic engine," park district Executive Director Carrie Fullerton said.
"We have been able to support mall management in their mission to attract and retain our residents, and they have supported us in our goal to extend our agency into our community beyond our rec center and parks."
To learn more about Stratford Square Mall and its partnership with the Bloomingdale Park District, visit bloomingdaleparks.org and click on "Be Involved" in the top menu bar, then "Corporate Partnership" on the drop-down menu.