PEOPLE AND PLACES

Longtime Rockford Executive Director Retires The Rockford Park District invites the Illinois parks and recreation community to a celebration in honor of Webbs Norman on July 26 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Riverfront Museum Park at 711 North Main in Rockford. After 34 years with the district, the district's executive director and treasurer retired on June 1. At the July event, the district will begin a legacy endowment for a summer playground program. Norman's first involvement with park districts came in 1954, when he worked at a summer program. That experience inspired him to begin a career in parks and recreation.

"All of us on the board are incredibly grateful for all that Webbs has done to continue growing our outstanding park system and making it one of the best in the United States," said Nate Martin, president of the Rockford Park District Board of Commissioners.

Norman may be officially retired, but he still plans to dedicate himself to some ambitious projects on behalf of the district. "What's so encouraging about Webbs' retirement is that he wishes to write a comprehensive history of the park district and to expand his involvement with the park district foundation in raising the funds needed to rejuvenate the Sinnissippi Riverfront facilities planned for the Park District's 100th Anniversary in 2009," Martin stated.

Norman will also have a role in choosing a successor. "Succession planning has been a high priority of the board and director, and Webbs has always kept his top management team fully involved in all matters affecting the district. Therefore, we all anticipate a smooth transition," said Martin. The board, with the help of IAPD President and CEO Ted Flickinger, is meeting with a number of community leaders, program participants and citizens to identify the qualities needed in a new park district executive. "Once the profile is complete, an appropriate process will be established to select Norman's successor," said Martin. In the mean time, the board has appointed Tim Dimke, a 34-year veteran, as interim executive director of fhe district.

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Woodridge Park District Director Retires After more than 34 years of service as the director of parks and recreation, Keith Frankland retired from the Woodridge Park District in June. Under his leadership, the district grew from approximately 30 acres to over 655 acres of parkland. In 1972, the district was comprised of only a few parks, Hobson Pool and the administrative office. In 2006, Woodridge Park District maintains 40 community and neighborhood parks and operates such award-winning facilities as the Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park and the Village Greens of Woodridge along with the newly renovated Community Center and Hobson Pool. He guided the Woodridge Park District to being one of the first park districts to earn the Illinois Distinguished Agency Award.

Frankland's professional involvement has included co-chairing the IAPD/IPRA Joint Conference Committee and Joint Publications Committee along with being a member of the Joint Continuing Education Committee, the Joint Public Awareness Committee, the Joint Legislative Committee, Professional Standards, Professional Certification Board, the Membership Services Committee, Administration and Finance Section Board, and the Coordinating Council. He was the 1991 chairman of the IPRA board and received the 1993 Professional Award, the IPRA Meritorious Service Award and the A&F Literary Award. In 1996, he was honored as the recipient of the Robert Artz Award for Outstanding and Meritorious Service. He served as the statewide delegate to the first Conservation Congress representing the park and recreation field and has served on the Illinois State University Advisory Council.

On the national level, Frankland has served on the Great Lakes Regional Council, the APRS Congress Planning Committee, co-chaired the first NRPA Swimming Pool and Aquatics Conference and chaired both the first Business Managers Institute and NRPA's Symposium on the Aging American. He served on the Board of the Council of Affiliate Presidents and the NRPA Needs Assessment Committee.

Frankland received a bachelor's degree in recreation and park administration from Western Illinois University. In 1992, he was given Western's Health, Physical Education and Recreation Alumni of the Year award. He has completed Indiana University's Executive Development Program, the Management Institute on Risk Management and the Illinois Professional Development School. He has spoken at educational programs both at state and national levels and has published articles in several publications.

Woodridge Park District Names New Director The Woodridge Park District Board of Commissioners has appointed Michael Adams as its director of parks and recreation. Adams had been the deputy director and superintendent of planning and development of the Woodridge Park District for the past ten years. He was hired as superintendent of planning and development in 1990 and added the job responsibilities of deputy director in 1995. Adams succeeds Keith Frankland who retired from the district in June after serving as its director of parks and recreation for more than 34 years. He will have the responsibility of overseeing all functions of the district including recreation, parks, aquatics, golf, finance, administration and public relations.

Over the years, Adams has helped facilitate the district's growth in open spaces. In 1990, the district maintained 292 acres. By 2005, the district had doubled its acreage to more than 655 acres.

Adams has played a key role in the development of the district's new facilities and parks, including Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park, ten new neighborhood park developments, two community park redevelopments, a new sports complex, a new maintenance building, the golf course comprehensive development master plan, the completion of a 17-mile bikeway system and the recently expanded Community Center.

Adams is a trained landscape architect. His designs have resulted in numerous awards for the district. Among them were the Illinois Distinguished Agency Award, IPRA Outstanding Facility Parks Awards, the NRPA Aquatic Facility Award and the Great Lakes Park Institutes Daniel Flaherty Award.

Adams was intricately involved in developing the project plan, overall design and operational procedures of the district's Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park. Since its opening in 1997, Cypress Cove has won local, regional and international awards, including the 2003 Best Water Park in Chicago by Chicago Magazine. In 2005, Woodridge Park District was named one of only seven training centers in the nation to receive the coveted 5-Star Aquatic Safety Award.

In 2004, Adams spearheaded the accreditation process that earned Woodridge Park District the Illinois Distinguished Agency Award for the third time. Adams is eager to build on the successes of the district by implementing the Five Year Capital Development Plan, which focuses on redeveloping existing parks and facilities, constructing parks and facilities in new residential developments, acquiring parkland, preserving open space for future generations, providing diversified programs for all ages and enhancing the level of Woodridge Park District services.

Adams' work experience includes serving as a landscape architect for Downers Grove Park District. He received a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Illinois and looks forward to completing his master's in public administration. He is a graduate of Indiana University's Executive Development Program and IPRA's Professional Development School. He is a member of the Mdwest Institute of Park Executives, IPRA, the Illinois Distinguish Agency Review Board and NRPA.

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While Kuruvilla was superintendent of business services, the Gurnee Park District received the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for seven consecutive years. Currently, Kuruvilla is a member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the Gurnee Noon Exchange Club. She is a Certified Public Accountant, as well as a Certified Park and Recreation Professional.

After the appointment was made, President Vicki Paddock stated that the board of candidates for the position. Those five finalists were chosen from an initial slate of 27 candidates from various parts of the country. "After a careful review of what each could do to lead our park district to the next level of excellence, it was our unanimous decision that Susie is the best qualified candidate to do so. She knows what the aspirations of the board and the community are, and we feel that she will carry on the tradition of innovative and strong leadership demonstrated by our departing executive director," said Paddock.

McHenry County Conservation District Introduces New Executive Director The McHenry County Conservation District has hired Elizabeth S. Kessler to fill the position of executive director. The board of trustees unanimously approved her appointment at the May 6 public board meeting. Kessler was selected from a field of 30 candidates, after an extensive search by the board of trustees assisted by the Illinois Association of Park Districts. Kessler is responsible for the overall management and performance of the district, which includes personnel, administration, budget, finance, public relations, programming, land acquisition and preservation. "We are very fortunate to have Elizabeth joining our team," said Board President Martha Carver. "She has a proven track record of steadfast leadership, business acumen, customer service, community relations and environmental stewardship."

Kessler comes to the district with more than two decades of experience working in the public sector, managing parks, recreation and conservation areas, facilities and programs. Kessler worked for the Skokie Park District as the superintendent of recreation for the past 18 years, where she led an award-winning agency through its renaissance period of extensive repositioning, redevelopment and growth. Kessler was responsible for the overall operations and administration of a variety of facilities including the Emily Oaks Nature Center and Woodland Wander Inn; the Skokie Heritage Museum and Log Cabin; the Explor-it-orium for Art, Science and Imagination; the Devonshire Cultural Center; the Oakton Community Center; the Tot Learning Center; the Fitness First Health Club and the Weber Leisure Center, as well as the oversight of a diverse array of programs, community partnerships and services. Kessler facilitated numerous partnerships between local municipalities, school districts, not-for-profit agencies and corporations, and she served as the chairman for the nationally recognized and award winning Skokie Festival of Cultures.

During her tenure, the Skokie Park District received the 1997 National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management, American Camping Association Accreditation, Park District Risk Management Association Accreditation and the Illinois Distinguished Agency Award, to name a few prestigious recognitions.

Kessler has personally been recognized with numerous professional awards for her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit, including the Illinois Park and Recreation Association's Professional Recognition Award (2001), President's Award (2000), Meritorious Service Award (1999), Al Hattendorf Professional of the Year (1997) and Young Professional of the Year (1992).

Kessler currently serves as a professional trustee representing the Great Lakes Region for the National Recreation and Park Association and served as the 2003 chairman of the board for the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.

Kessler holds a B.S. in recreation and park administration with honors from Illinois State University and an MBA with distinction from the Keller Graduate School of Management, Chicago.

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Champaign County Forest Preserve Has New Executive Director The Champaign County Forest Preserve District named Gerald Pagac as its executive director in February. Pagac joined the forest preserve district after a 33-year career with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, most recendy as the director of state parks and reservoirs, a position he held for 15 years. In that position, Pagac oversaw 24 state parks and nine reservoirs throughout Indiana. Pagac has a B.S. in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and he earned his M.S. in park and recreation management from the University of Oregon. He has served on the board of the NRPA Society for Park Resources and was vice president of the National Association of State Park Directors, in addition to his involvement in other national, state and local organizations. In Indiana, he was successful in preserving resources, as well as in making improvements to facilities, programs and services. One of his first goals in his new capacity is to oversee the development of a strategic plan.

Six Illinois Agencies Vie for NRPA Gold Six of the state's park and recreation agencies are finalists in the competition for 2006 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. The Gold Medals represent and honor the nation's outstanding park and recreation agencies for excellence in the field of recreation management.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) will announce this year's winners at NRPA's Annual Congress and Exposition in Seattle, Washington in October.

The 20 finalists are categorized by population served, with a total of five gold medals awarded. The Illinois nominees fall into three categories as follows.

Class III (population 50.001 - 100.000)

Bolingbrook Park District

Class IV (population 25.001 - 50.000)

Elmhurst Park District Homewood-Flossmoor Park District

Class V (population less than 25.000)

Bloomingdale Park District

Frankfort Square Park District

Vernon Hills Park District

Porter Athletic Equipment Company and Musco Lighting LLC sponsor the Gold Medal Awards.

As the new aquatic program supervisor, Steve Neill is responsible for the lifeguard programs and the learn-to-swim program. He schedules all pool activities at the district's Olympic Indoor Swim Center, is the liaison to School District 214 and assists the five center recreation supervisors with their summer pool operations. Neill was a lifeguard throughout high school and college. In 1995, he became the aquatic supervisor at the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District. He joined the Arlington Heights Park District in 1997 and has worked at two community centers and at the Olympic Indoor Swim Center. He's seen five of the district's six pool facilities renovated. His certifications include: CPRP, Aquatic Facility Operator and Ellis Lifeguard Program Instructor Trainer. He is actively involved in the IPRA Facility Management Section, having served the section as the division coordinator for aquatics, director elect and director. He currently serves as the past director. In 2002, Neill was honored as IPRA Facility section's Aquatic Manager of the Year.

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New Hires at Bartlett's Business Services Department and Aquatics Program Susan Leninger has accepted the position of superintendent of business services at the Bardett Park District. Previously, she was the superintendent of finance for the Geneva Park District. At Bardett, she oversees information technology, human resources, accounts payable, payroll, cash management and budgeting. Lenninger has her B.A. from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree from Northern's School Business Management.

Eric Hermonson was recenty hired as the new human resources manager for the Bardett Park District. He previously worked full time for Mentor4, a private staffing corporation and spent many summers working for the McHenry County Conservation District. He is the latest addition to the district's walleyball team. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in human resources management.

Kim Vande Vusse recently joined the Bardett Park District as the accounting supervisor. She replaces Millie Brekhus, who retired after 25 years of service. Vande Vusse's responsibilities include supervising payroll, accounts payable, cash management and general ledger. Prior to joining the district, she worked for six years at a snow plowing business and for 15 years at Allstate. She has a B.A. degree in business management from DePaul University.

Millie Brekhus, accounting supervisor, started work for the district on September 2, 1980. She retired June 30 and has moved to northern Wisconsin where she and her husband purchased a log cabin.

New to the aquatics staff is Erin Mages, the assistant aquatics manager. Her duties include hiring and training staff, managing Bartlett's indoor and outdoor pools and coordinating swim lessons and special events. She graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a B.A. in psychology. She comes to Bartlett with five years of aquatics experience.

Energy Cost Containment Seminars Slated for Early August

Park, recreation and conservation agency commissioners, executive directors and other key administrators can learn ways to better manage volatile energy costs by attending one of two seminars offered by IAPD and Constellation NewEnergy. The two-hour Managing Your Energy Costs Today for Tomorrow's Market workshops will give agency decision-makers the facts about the changing energy market and allow them to develop strategic energy plans for their agencies.

The seminar will first be held Friday, August 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Auditorium Room 304 at the Downers Grove Park District's Lincoln Community Center at 935 Maple Avenue. It will be repeated on Saturday, August 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Wheeling Park District's Community Recreation Center at 333 W Dundee Road. The cost to attend is $25 per person. A continental breakfast will be provided.

Dr. Phil O'Connor Ph.D., Constellation NewEnergy's vice president of regulatory affairs and the former chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, will discuss how the Illinois electricity market restructuring will affect park, recreation and conservation agencies. Specific topics will include:

•  The upcoming electricity auction

•  Electricity price trends and supply options

•  How to develop a strategic electricity plan for your agency.

Constellation NewEnergy, IAPD's energy partner, is the leading competitive supplier of electricity, natural gas and energy-related services to commercial and industrial customers throughout North America.

Online registration is available at WWW.ILparks.org. E-mail IAPD Educational Services Director Sue McGovern at smcgovern@ILparks.org or call her at 847-496-4449 if you have questions.

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Park Ridge Taps New Facilities Coordinator The Park Ridge Recreation and Park District announced the appointment of Clint Lauderdale as facilities coordinator in May. Lauderdale joined the district in March 2004, when he was named facilities office supervisor. As facilities coordinator, he oversees the district's four outdoor aquatic facilities, the Oakton Ice Arena, the Oakton Driving Range and Paws Park. Lauderdale brings with him experience in management and administration in the sports industry. He has assisted athletes from all levels of competitive and recreational sports. Lauderdale was himself a professional and collegiate soccer player. He played soccer on a professional team in Los Angeles, California and at DePaul University in Chicago, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree. Lauderdale was the assistant general manager at the Vacaville Sports Center in Vacaville, California and at the Pickwick Ice Center in Burbank, California. At the California ice rinks he was responsible for operations, marketing and ice time scheduling. He also worked for a professional firefighters association in Topeka, Kansas where he was in charge of fundraising, marketing and finances.

Newly Certified Professionals

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Get Your People and Places in PEOPLE AND PLACES

IPRA members and IAPD member-agencies are welcome to submit news to people and places. Stories should be 300 to 500 words and color images should be 300 dpi when reduced to approximately 1 1/2 x 2 inches.

E-mail your items to Rodd Whelpley, IP&R editor, at rwhelpley@ILparks.org.

Joliet Bolingbrook SRA Gets Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor The Bolingbrook Park District hired Sherrie Izban to fill the role of therapeutic recreation supervisor for the Joliet Bolingbrook Special Recreation Association (JBSRA). Her first day was April 3. Izban's responsibilities at the Bolingbrook Park District will include program development for JBSRA, outreach to area schools and fundraising. Izban came to the park district from the Gateway Special Recreation Association in Burr Ridge. While at Gateway, Izban served as superintendent of recreation. Her responsibilities included budget management, program coordination and fundraising. Izban graduated from Rosary College in River Forest with a BA. in psychology. She also received an MA. in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University. She is a certified Special Olympics coach in six sports including track and field, bocce, Softball, volleyball and basketball and will soon be a certified soccer coach. The Joliet Bolingbrook Special Recreation Association is a cooperative extension of the Bolingbrook Park District and the Joliet Park District that provides year-round recreation programs for people with disabilities. JBSRA now welcomes residents of the Plainfield Township Park District to participate.

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Greg Hooper has joined the Lombard Park District as athletics program manager in the Recreation Department. He is a 1998 recreation, park and tourism administration graduate of Western Illinois University where he also minored in management. He has previously worked for the Berwyn Park District and the Medinah Park District.

Winnetka Park District Employee is Coach of the year The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois recently awarded Tom Gullen its Coach of die Year, which was presented at the Blackhawk Cup State Hockey Finals. Gullen has dedicated 24 years to coaching youth hockey teams. Currently, he is the Pee Wee AA Boys team coach for the Winnetka Hockey Club. "This season was special because I've coached most of these kids for three years, and four boys for four years straight. I have never done that and likely never will again," said Gullen. Gullen is the Winnetka Park District's superintendent of facilities. His responsibilities include overseeing the management of the Winnetka Ice Arena, the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Center, Winnetka Platform Tennis and the Winnetka Golf Club.

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PowerPlay! Beyond-School Program Grants Distributed

Thirty park, recreation and conservation agencies received awards in the latest round of IAPD PowerPlay! grant funding. Thanks, in part, to proceeds from sales and renewals of the Park District Youth License Plate, each agency received $3,700 to enhance or begin a beyond-school program that helps children incorporate health, fitness and nutrition into their lifestyles and fight childhood obesity.

Agencies receiving grants this spring include:
Barrington Park District
Blue Island Park District
Bolingbrook Park District
Channahon Park District
Chicago Park District
Decatur Park District
Elk Grove Park District
Elmhurst Park District
Fox Valley Park District
Frankfort Community Park District
Frankfort Park District
Hoffman Estates Park District
Itasca Park District
Lemont Park District
Maywood Park District
Niles Park District
Oak Lawn Park District
Oakbrook Terrace Park District
Oswegoland Park District
Park District of Franklin Park
Phoenix Park District
Prospect Heights Park District
Riverside Village's Parks and Recreation Department
Skokie Park District
St. Charles Park District Urbana Park District
Warren Special Recreation Association
Wauconda Park District
Worth Park District
Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association

The PowerPlay! Grant Program was created to address the problems youth can face during the hours school is out and parents are still working. Studies show teens are most at risk to be the victims of violence, become pregnant or use drugs and alcohol between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Unsupervised children also tend to be less active, choosing to sit in front of the television, play video games or spend time on the computer. "Illinois park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies are taking a stand against at-risk youth and childhood obesity," said Flickinger. Obesity, particularly childhood obesity, has reached epidemic proportions. Studies have shown that the numbers of overweight children and adolescents in the United States have tripled over the last 40 years. "Park districts are using the PowerPlay! Grant Program to expose children to healthy lifestyles with physical activity and proper nutritional choices," said Flickinger.

The grant program was initially funded by a grant from the Illinois Attorney General's Office as a part of the Mylan Anti-Trust Vitamin Settlement. In addition, $25 from the sale and subsequent renewal of each youth license plate is placed into the IAPD PowerPlay! Grant Program.

To date, IAPD has handed out 96 PowerPlay! Grants.

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Northbrook Playground Goes Global

At a recent board meeting, Northbrook Park District commissioners and staff watched a Power Point presentation showing delighted children enjoying a playground. The children were unfamiliar, but the swings, slides and monkey bars were not. The equipment had occupied the Northbrook village green just a few years earlier, before safety and liability issues caused the district to replace it.

Rather than discard the equipment, Northbrook resident, Emily Dischinger, a former missionary, urged the district to donate it to the Armenian Relief Project, a group that would take the equipment apart piece by piece, label it, transport it and reassemble it in Armenia.

The board agreed and asked Northbrook Parks and Properties Director Phil Yoder to oversee the district's responsibilities. Yoder, a former Peace Corps volunteer understood that the project would be even more complex than it sounded. In addition to carefully dismantling, labeling and reassembling the equipment, the group would have to ensure that the district would incur no costs and that it would be free from any liability. The volunteer group would also need to adhere to a strict time line and make sure the Northbrook site remained in usable condition once the equipment was removed.

According to Yoder, the Northbrook volunteer group met every challenge by using sweat equity and by getting donations from a local business's heavy equipment and labor force to move the playground pieces into three semi-trucks, as well as from the United Armenia Fund, another relief group that donated shipping costs. "You need someone [like Emily Dischinger and her volunteers] who are driven to see that a project like this will work," he said. "I'm so glad we said 'yes.' It would have been so much easier to say 'no.'" Judging from the Power Point slide show that was presented to the board, the children of the city Vanadzor in Armenia are also glad Northbook said 'yes.' Thanks to the efforts of the park district and citizen volunteers, the community of 75,000 has its very first playground.

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Post Your Resume Online With IPRA

IPRA has launched new functionality to its park & rec JOBS. Since May 1, professionals working in the field of parks and recreation along with part-time instructors who teach programs at park and recreation agencies agencies to view.

The most popular areas on www.ILipra.org, which routinely receives more than a million hits per month. Posting resumes and cover letters and searching for jobs is free of charge and easy to do.

Resumes posted online through park & rec JOBS can be seen by park, recreation and conservation agencies that have posted open job positions. These agencies can then contact those who posted resumes and arrange for interviews.

lPRA's new online Resume Builder functionality was developed in-house by IPRA staff with park and recreation professionals in mind. Students just graduating college who have yet to establish a network of contacts are prime candidates for using this new service. Other users include entry-level professionals looking to find the perfect fit with a park, recreation or conservation agency. Mid-level professionals looking for promotions or increased responsibilities will also find the service beneficial. Senior-level professionals will be glad to know that all resumes posted online can remain completely confidential, and only agencies with posted jobs can view

Another group that will benefit from the Resume Builder are part-time instructors and teachers looking to expand their business. Hiring agencies will now have wider access to this group of instructors who can expand an agency's program offerings.

For more information about the Resume Builder or anything related to the online park & rec JOBS service, please go online to Dean Comber at 630-376-1911 or dean@ILipra.org.

Flying 4 Kids Statewide Kite Fly Events Take Off

The second annual Flying 4 Kids statewide kite fly took awareness of ti Park District Youth License Plate to new heights in April.

Organized by the IAPD, Flying 4 Kids, attracted hundreds of families, members of the media and kite enthusiasts to park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies across the state. "The goal was to promote a fun, family-oriented recreational event and raise awarenes of the Park District Youth License Plate, which features a colorful kite," sai Ted Flickinger, IAPD president and CEO.

The association encouraged agencies to host a kite fly during April, which is National Kite Month. While each kite fly featured information about the Park District Youth License Plate, they were all unique. Some agencies hosted competitive kite fly events, while others offered leisurely kite flies or encouraged fun competitions such as smallest kite, largest kite, most unique kite, best "Charlie Brown" (kite crash) or highest flown kite. Many agencies offered kite making clinics for children.

"We had professional kite flyers perform demonstrations and display their unique, ornate kites," said Karen Benjamin, director of recreatior for the Decatur Park District. "We played music to fly kites by and had a drawing for flight-themed prizes." According to Benjamin, the event always draws a lot of attention to the Park District Youth License Plate and brings many people out to the park.

Other agencies formed partnerships to enhance their kite fly. "We created an intergenerational event by bringing in a first-grade class to fly kites with our senior citizen club," said Debbie Smith, recreation supervisor for the Fox Valley Park District. "Of course, anyone was welcome to join in the fun, and we made sure Park District Youth License Plate information was readily available." The Alsip Park District patrolled their parks for a "Get Caught Kite Flying & Win" event. "Families who were spotted flying kites in one of ou: parks on April 22nd from 10:00 a.m. until noon received a gift certificate," said Meghan Fenlon, Alsip Park District's recreation supervisor. "We also held a kite decorating day during spring break and created an eye catching lobby display for the Park District Youth License Plate." For more information about how your agency can host a Flying 4 Kids event, contact the Illinois Association of Park Districts at (217) 523-4554.

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