Best of Hoffman

Each month the Hoffman Estates Park District staff and commissioners review the district's volunteers and participants, searching for men, women and children who best exemplify the interests of the park district. These people are then recognized as the Best of Hoffman at a Park Board meeting and presented with a Board proclamation. We are lucky and honored to be affiliated with these individuals. If you would like to nominate someone for this award, download a nomination form and fax it back to 847–885–7523.

2012 Volunteer of the Year

Georgeanna Mehr was named Best of Hoffman in September 2012. She has been chosen among all the other Best of Hoffman recipients in 2012 to be our Volunteer of the Year 2012.

Georgeanna was chosen because of all she does for the park district and for the Friends of H.E. Parks Foundation. Despite being so busy with the bank, the Chamber, the Sears Centre, Good Shepherd Hospital, and the Fellowship Housing Group, (and I’m sure we’ve left out a few!) she somehow finds the time to volunteer for countless park district and foundation events and fundraisers.

April 2013

This month’s Best of Hoffman is the Wolf Pack’s Pee Wee 2 Hockey Team. The Pee Wee 2 team recently won their first ever full travel championship in the major finals in Joliet. A team that struggled in the beginning of the year persevered, and with some hard work and tremendous coaching lead by Joe Hall and assistants Joe Calabrese and Mike Shelton, showed dramatic improvement to eventually bring home this fantastic NIHL championship.

To add to the great story, is the great day celebrated by Delaney Calabrese. She not only won the first game with this predominantly boys’ team, she changed her jersey and in the very next game won the girls U12 championship playing on a Yellow Jackets all girls team. We are very proud of all of these kids and hope that they continue to play hockey and always give 100% of themselves in everything they do.

March 2013

March’s Best of Hoffman recipients are Bruce and Michelle Dyker. Although their son William primarily played in a different level, Bruce and Michelle Dyker took the lead in overseeing one of the pivotal positions in a hockey program...the first experience with playing games with other programs. This program does not have a regular game schedule and requires very dedicated leaders to source out and arrange jamborees with other programs. This major jamboree had approximately 150 participants.

Not only did they set up and host a phenomenal jamboree with 8 other programs enjoying the festivities, they have designed a platform for the player that is 6 and under to start playing in a team atmosphere but without all the pressures and anxiety that comes with youth sports. The little players have enjoyed great improvement while having a tremendous experience, all planned through hours of extra work by the Dykers and the additional leadership by Coach Rick Carlson.

February 2013

Sarah Wozniak, Mother of Squirt player Benny and wife of Coach Gene, took it upon herself to create and manage an extremely successful food drive in the name of Wolf Pack, HEPD and Jerry's Warehouse.

For anyone that has the care and heart to organize such a program, they will know that there are always more steps and roadblocks than one would expect. Sarah pursued the plan with excited perseverance that resulted in two mini vans filled with 21 boxes that less fortunate people would have not otherwise had access to.

Besides the first focus of looking after people, Sarah felt it was a great opportunity to engage a number of young people, including Benny, in assisting with the distribution and show them what it’s like to give and care for others.

Although she dedicated hours of her time going from various facilities, moving products, storing them and distributing them, Sarah's great heart has her excited to do the same type of program again even to a greater scale. She says that the pantry cupboards are bare in the summer and she is determined to fill them up with another food drive in a couple of months.

January 2013

Joe Bolbot has been our Skate with Santa for the past 4 years. He is on the ice wearing skates, playing the role of Santa and is, according to Jennifer Dooley, one of the most patient and kind people she’s ever met! In addition to playing Santa, Joe also poses as the Easter Bunny for our Great Egg slide event! The kids just love him. For the past 2 years, Joe has also been the announcer for ice skating’s Basic Skills competition. He and his wife, Adrienne, help with ice show sets for every ice skating event there is. Their daughter Alyssa figure skates in our figure skating program. Joe helps make the world a happier place for kids.