Waukegan, Illinois (April 24, 2023) – The Waukegan Park District is recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which is commemorated from Sunday, April 23, 2023 to Saturday, April 29, 2023, with the Tree of Life Program, funded by a grant from the Crime Victims’ Service Fund of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court. The program is an opportunity for families and friends to honor an individual who was the victim of a crime with a tree and a plaque in a local park.
Orders will be accepted throughout the year, but trees will be planted in the spring and fall. The deadline for spring planting requests is May 1, and the deadline for fall planting requests is September 15. A plaque with the name of the honored individual and a brief personalized message will be installed near the tree. The Waukegan Park District will maintain the tree.
The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court established the Crime Victims’ Services Fund in 2010 to provide services to crime victims and their families. The fund is administered by the Crime Victims’ Services Fund Committee, comprised of judges, probation staff, and court staff.
Janet E. Kilkelly, President of the Waukegan Park District Board of Commissioners, stated, “The Tree of Life Program is a wonderful way for individuals to remember a loved one who was the victim of a crime. The trees planted in a local park will ensure that their legacy will live on in our community.”
Jay Lerner, Executive Director of the Waukegan Park District, stated, “The Tree of Life Program will provide a lasting memory for families and friends who lost a loved one to a crime. The trees planted through this program will be a remembrance that will grow through the years.”
More information, including the form for the program, is available at waukeganparks.org/memorialprograms.
About the Waukegan Park District
Established on December 26, 1916, the Waukegan Park District (WPD) has 53 properties and more than 742 acres of land, including the 18-hole Bonnie Brook and 9-hole Greenshire Golf Courses. Properties are managed to the highest environmental and conservation standards. Facilities operated by the WPD include the Field House Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Center, Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark, Waukegan Skate Park, BMX Track, SplashZone, Percussion Playground, recreational centers, disc golf course, dog exercise area and agility course, outdoor sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, splash pads, and sports courts including basketball, tennis and pickleball. A full range of programs and services are offered year-round for all ages, from infants to seniors, as well as special need populations. Healthy lifestyles, wellness initiatives, and a connection with the outdoors and nature are integrated throughout programs, services, and special events. Arts and cultural activities are provided by the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus, and the Waukegan History Museum. We offer something for everyone!
A member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA), and the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), the WPD employs 73 full-time and 219 part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees and is recognized by the IPRA as an Exceptional Workplace.
Nationally accredited by the NRPA Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and State accredited through the IAPD Distinguished Agency Accreditation, the WPD has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Triple Crown Award for receiving the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The WPD was awarded the NRPA National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in 2013, and was named a Gold Medal Finalist in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Media Contact
Josue Pasillas, MPA
Communications Supervisor
Waukegan Park District
(847) 360-4789
jpasillas@waukeganparks.org
waukeganparks.org