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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF PARK DISTRICTS’ BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS: PROJECT ONWARD, BRUSHWOOD CENTER, VOLUNTEER STEWARD JUNE WEBB, THE HOFFMAN ESTATES PARK DISTRICT, THE VILLAGE OF HOFFMAN ESTATES, AND THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, on November 12, 2020, Project Onward, Brushwood Center, volunteer steward June Webb, Hoffman Estates Park District, the Village of Hoffman Estates and the Forest Preserves of Cook County, were all honored with Best of the Best awards from the Illinois Association of Park Districts during a virtual ceremony; and
WHEREAS, Project Onward, Brushwood Center and the Forest Preserves of Cook County received the Arts in the Park award for their collaboration on Fresh Air, a virtual art exhibition; and
WHEREAS, artists from Project Onward, a nonprofit studio and gallery, located in Chicago, for artists with mental and developmental disabilities, created pieces for the Fresh Air exhibition inspired by their visits to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods; and
WHEREAS, Fresh Air showcased the work of the Project Onward artists, providing important exposure for these talented individuals, while also highlighting the importance of local nature as inspiration in art; and
WHEREAS, June Webb received the Outstanding Citizen Volunteer Award for her dedication and passion as a volunteer steward at Kickapoo and Whistler Woods in the Calumet region where she has succeeded in attracting and building a team of local volunteers and has helped care for over 50 acres of prairie and woodland; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Webb has dedicated over 1200 hours to the Forest Preserves as a steward, trail watch volunteer, and dragonfly monitor and leads activities at Whistler and Kickapoo that educate visitors and volunteers about local ecosystems and inspires curiosity about the natural world just outside their doors; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Webb is a cherished member of the Chicagoland environmental community and has inspired countless people to care for nature; and
WHEREAS, Hoffman Estates Park District, the Village of Hoffman Estates and the Forest Preserves of Cook County received the Intergovernmental Cooperation Award for the work of these three agencies to create a trail segment that connects the Village of Hoffman Estates to the Forest Preserves’ Poplar Creek trail system; and
WHEREAS, this trail segment will contribute to the health, safety and mobility of residents by keeping bicycles and pedestrians off a busy stretch of Shoe Factory Road and creating a significant addition to a regional priority corridor that runs from Elgin to Evanston, providing a safe way for walkers and bikers to traverse the area for recreation, school and work.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves of Cook County congratulate the recipients of the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ Best of the Best Awards and thank them for their commitment to the mission of the Forest Preserves; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to the awardees as a token of appreciation for their service to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the residents of Cook County.
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