Welcome to the Parks & Recreation Department
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Creating Community
Through People, Parks and Programs!
Thank you for visiting the Parks & Recreation Department, located in the Recreation Center at 400 Hastings Road. The Recreation Center offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
An organizational chart 
(14k - 1 page) for the Parks and Recreation Department can be viewed or downloaded.
|
Award-Winning
Department
The Lake Forest Parks and Recreation
Department achieved the highest honor when it was
awarded the 2005 National Gold Medal Award. The American
Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in
partnership with the National Recreation and Park
Association presented the award.
The department was honored as the best in the
category of communities under 25,000 in population. The
Gold Medal is recognized as the most important and
celebrated park and recreation award in the country, and
Lake Forest is proud to be considered among the best in
management, staff and dedication in serving the park and
recreation needs of its residents. |
Former
Parks and Recreation Director
Fred Jackson and Assistant Director Wendy
McKiernan accepting the prestigious National
Gold Medal Award |
The 2008 Fall Brochure is available at
www.LFRec.com !
 You can view all of the programs by
activity on LFRec.com. If you do
not want to register on-line, or you can download a Registration Form
(203k - 2 pages) to fax, mail or hand deliver to the Recreation Center. Contact 847-234-6700 if you have any questions.
The Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department is committed to providing residents of all ages positive experiences through a variety of high quality programs, activities, and services under the direction of professional and dedicated staff who are responsive to the changing needs of the community. Keep up to date with our
monthly newsletter, P.R. News
(353k -
6 pages), filled with information about all the different program areas. We are always looking for part time employees to meet the constantly changing needs of the Parks & Recreation Department. If you are interested, visit the employment page for current opportunities. Also, let us know how we are doing. If you love a program and think the instructor is fantastic, give them a "high five." Our High Five Form
(20k - 1 page) is a way of saying thanks for the hard work. These go into the employee's file and are published for everyone to see. It is nice to tell someone they are doing a great job.
On-line Registration
Anytime ..... Anywhere!
Lake Forest residents are able to register for Parks and Recreation Department classes on line at
www.LFRec.com. To access an on-line account, you will need to have an email address on file with the department along with an account user ID and PIN number. Call the Parks and Recreation office at 847-234-6700 or email to lfrec@cityoflakeforest.com for more information. In order to make on-line registration available to Lake Forest residents we had to change our registration system. Registration is taken on a first come first serve basis now. You can register at your convenience anytime......anywhere......
| "From the Park Bench" - by
Mary Van Arsdale, Director of Parks & Recreation |
 Creating
Community through People, Parks and Programs… you will
find this message on our front cover and carried
throughout the brochure. You may not have thought of our
services in this fashion before… creating community. You
may have had a more basic view of the benefits of parks
and recreation which is to provide your family with fun
programs and parks. However, to the Lake Forest Parks
and Recreation professionals involved with the delivery
of your leisure services, it is more than a catchy
slogan. We approach every day with the strong belief
that our many services are essential for creating a
quality community from which every resident benefits.
This broader sense of importance is validated when you
take a moment to consider that parks and recreation not
only grows better communities, it creates community.
Consider the following ….no other service provider in
the community serves as diverse of an age range, offers
such a huge variety of enrichment opportunities,
connects people together from neighborhoods throughout
the city or does so within such a wide variety of
natural and positive environments. Our parks and
services help sustain your home’s value and we play a
major role in the economic health of the community. For
instance, did you know that the Parks and Recreation
Department is the number one employer of youth and that
we employ hundreds of adults year-round in order to
deliver the full gamut of recreational and park
services? Our people, parks and programs fosters human
development, increases cultural unity, promotes health
and wellness, protects our environmental resources, and
strengthens community image and sense of place. We offer
the connectivity that is essential in today’s world when
it seems easier to “plug in or tune out.” And the list
could go on….
As you browse through this most recent publication of
programs and recreation services, I hope you take a
moment to reflect on the broader role your parks and
recreation department truly plays. Through our people,
parks and programs we provide the framework and backbone
that creates the community that we all love and call
Lake Forest.
Mary Van Arsdale
Director of Parks and Recreation |
Please take time to enjoy a recreation program and visit our wonderful park sites!
Northern Suburban Special Recreation
Association
NSSRA is a partnership
that provides year-round recreation and leisure opportunities
for children, teens, adults and seniors with disabilities. For more information about NSSRA, please call 847-509-9400,
email to info@nssra.org or check their website,
www.nssra.org.
For information about NSSRA inclusion services in our
programs, contact Wendy McKiernan at 847-615-4331. |
