A TIME TO CELEBRATE Oak Brook Park District Marks Sixty Years

BY LARRY ATSEFF

The Oak Brook Park District is celebrating being 60 years young this year. All 173 acres of it, with beautiful, spacious grounds and an unmatched array of facilities and activities for everyone to enjoy year-round. Complete with an award-winning staff to help you thoroughly enjoy it all.

The 60th-anniversary celebration started by dedicating its Summer Concert Series to ‘60s music. The Summer Concert Series alone celebrated 40 years of performances. Haley Colucci, Marketing and Communications Manager, said, “It was such a joy to watch our community celebrate the Park District's 60th this year at the 'Celebrating the ‘60s Summer Concert Series.' We are looking forward to continuing the festivities on Friday, November 4. Be sure to check the Oak Brook Park District’s website for the details.”

The Park District will have several themed activities starting October 31 and throughout the week. On Friday, November 4, there will be an Open House at the Family Recreation Center, complete with food, beverages, games, raffles, and fitnessrelated activities that the whole family can enjoy. The day will end with a “Flick and Float” at the Family Aquatic Center.

There is no question that over its 60 years, the Park District has worked extremely hard on its mission: to provide the best in park and recreational opportunities, facilities, and open lands for the community. Executive Director, Laure Kosey, said, “We couldn't be happier as we reflect on all the recreational opportunities at Central Park as we celebrate 60 years here at the Oak Brook Park District. Looking at our timeline and how much growth we have been through as a Park District is truly inspiring. We can't wait to see what the next 60 years bring to the community we proudly serve!”

The Park District's vision is to provide a diverse range of opportunities designed to keep the community happy, fit, and active while being its very best and feeling its very best.

It all starts with Central Park, with the entrance at Forest Gate Road, just off Jorie Boulevard. In this space, the Family Recreation Center and Family Aquatic Center, several baseball fields, an indoor tennis center, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a magnificent artificial turf soccer field, and several more soccer fields are housed. The Sandlot, a unique universal playground, and two basketball courts are also found here. Central Park West is a building designed for gatherings (complete with a koi pond), space for disc and foot golf, and sledding on the nearby hill in winter. Ginger Creek offers fishing, trees, and ponds in beautiful, quiet settings along with three miles of paved trails. In the winter, the trees and paths adjacent to Route 83 are adorned with special holiday lighting. In addition, there is the 40-acre Dean Nature Sanctuary and three satellite parks: Saddle Brook,

Forest Glen, and Chillem Park, at other locations in Oak Brook.

To run the park, including all the facilities and all the programs, it takes a large, well-trained, and dedicated staff of over 200 employees, not to mention all the volunteers that help at special events throughout the year. Due to their dedication, Oak Brook Park District has won numerous awards, including: 2017 Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) 2018 – 2021 Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) 2018 Illinois Park & Recreation Association Outstanding Park & Facility Award 2019 Public Relations Society of America - Chicago Chapter – Skyline Award 2019 Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Award 2021 Chicago Tribune Top Work Place Award 2021 Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Best of the Best Awards 2022 IPRA Champions for Change Award