Flossmoor’s Community Relations Commission has been holding a Welcome to Flossmoor New Resident Event for roughly a dozen years. At the gatherings, Mayor Paul Braun likes to ask what brought people to the village.
“The No. 1 answer is usually the schools, but also high on that list this year was the parks,” Braun said.
Because of the pandemic, the event was held virtually this year in a 90-minute Zoom program, “a different format, completely,” Braun said. The mayor suspected the love for the parks this year has a lot to do with people seeking outdoor entertainment more, what with everything that has been limited by COVID-19 restrictions.
“In some respects, I think that’s connected to the pandemic,” he said of the outpouring of love.
Braun wanted to share that good feedback and appeared Oct. 6 at a meeting of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s Board of Commissioners to do just that, indicating that a survey of new residents ranked the parks as one of the top reasons people moved to the area.
“The new rising star is the H-F Park District,” Braun told the board. “People are telling us left and right that they are coming to Flossmoor because of the excellent parks and the great recreational programs.
“That kind of makes sense. Because of the world of COVID we’re living in, people are looking for outdoors. They’re looking for space. The park district does a wonderful job, so I wanted to let you know that we are hearing from new residents that the park district and recreational opportunities are reasons No. 1 and No. 2 that people are moving in.”
Dallas Collins, president of the park district board, thanked the mayor for sharing those comments and lauded the park district staff “that makes it all happen.”
Debbie Kopas, executive director for the park district, said she appreciated the gesture from the mayor.
“We take great pride in our parks and facilities, and it was rewarding to hear such nice feedback,” she said. “Parks provide opportunities for all residents to benefit from time outdoors and to meet their neighbors, helping build our friendly and welcoming community.”
Kopas also agreed with Braun’s assessment that the challenges of the pandemic played a role in how people see their parks.
“While some park district facilities have been forced to either close or operate at reduced capacity, one thing that remains available to everyone is access to over 30 parks presenting a wide variety of outdoor activities and amenities, offering both physical and emotional benefits,” she said.
During the new resident program in late September, residents got to meet each other, the mayor, police and fire officials, high school and elementary school administrators, and village staff and volunteers. The event also offered Flossmoor trivia, prizes and videos featuring the park district and library. Gift bags also were delivered to the homes of anyone who confirmed participation by Sept. 11.
“I thought it went well, overall,” Braun said. “It was a very nice event. It was a good experience.”
That said, Braun said he hopes by next year the commission will be able to hold the event in-person once again.
Marilyn Thomas contributed to this story.
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- Volunteers modify their Park Pride Day efforts (May 8, 2020)
- H-F Park Pride 2019 Photo Slideshow (May 7, 2020)