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Give Thanks

During the holidays, we give thanks for all that we have: our families, our health, our security, and our opportunities. We give thanks for our careers and all the friendships we have made in service to our communities. We give thanks for all the opportunities we have been given. For all of us, in our careers, we can look back and see that our success comes from both formal education and informal networking. We see that professional development has been most effective for us when we could attend an event in person and learn from others in the room, making connections that stayed with us for years.

As you give thanks this year, the Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation would like you to think about what you have learned from those opportunities and those people who helped you along the way. We ask you to show your gratitude by giving back to your professional community through a donation to the foundation.

The Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation raises funds for just three purposes: 1) to provide scholarships to educational events for professionals, 2) to provide scholarships to college students to attend educational events, and 3) to go towards sponsoring activities which may play a positive role in supporting IPRA members statewide. For example, the Foundation was a sponsor of the Education Institute program which included live streaming the event to every region of Illinois.

If you had been unable to attend certain professional development opportunities, how would that have effected your career? Would you have learned what you needed to learn? Would you have met all the people who helped you along the way? As you give thanks this year, we ask that you give back and help us to make those professional development opportunities available to a student or a professional in our parks and recreation community.

Donations are tax deductible. Make your donation today online or send a check to Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation at 536 East Ave., La Grange, IL 60525.

As we take a moment to give thanks, we also want to thank you for all that you do to promote parks and recreation in your family, your community, and our profession. We are so fortunate to belong to a community that helps each other to learn and to succeed. Thank you for being such an important part of our service together.

Debbie Trueblood, CAE
Executive Director
IPRA

536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525 | Phone: 708-588-2280 | Fax : 708-354-0535