By Amy Roth –
Jim Pilmer sums up the Fox Valley Park Foundation’s Golf for Kids fundraiser in one simple sentence: “It’s all about dollars that go directly to recreational opportunities for kids.”
Pilmer, who has been the executive director of Fox Valley Park District since November 2015, gives credit to the outing’s chairman, Chris Beykirch, with taking the event to a “whole new level.” Beykirch is the business development director for Alarm Detection Systems, Inc. in Aurora.
The 2019 outing, set for Friday, June 28, will be the 25th annual event.
“Chris has breathed new life into this. He wakes up on New Year’s Day and starts planning,” Pilmer said. “The day of the event is like Christmas for Chris.”
This year’s Golf for Kids outing was June 29 and generated $62,000 to help kids participate in programs from Summer Stage to Sports Saturday. More than 225 golfers took part and 59 businesses stepped up to be partners.
“Without those dollars, many children would be left behind because of lack of finances,” Pilmer said.
For example, proceeds from Golf for Kids purchased costumes for this year’s Park District production of “The Little Mermaid.”
“Without that grant, either it wouldn’t have happened, or tax dollars would have been used,” Beykirch said.
Pilmer describes using private dollars to get the recreationally-underserved into public programs as “social equity.”
He said there are more than 70,000 medically-underserved children in the Park District’s service area. “We work with the parents that the Visiting Nurse Association works with to make recreation socially equitable,” he said.
“Golf for Kids is a microcosm of all the Park District has on its plate,” Beykirch said. “To contribute to the Foundation’s mission is truly an honor. And the event itself is awesome and awe-inspiring.”
As recently as five years ago, the fundraiser brought in $13,000 to $14,000 per event.
In Pilmer’s first year as director, Golf for Kids raised $42,000 that went directly to getting under-recreated kids in Park District programs. In 2017, funds raised increased to $52,000.
“Chris won’t quit until he hits $100,000,” Pilmer said. Se said that the outing is a success because it has a clear mission and a clear message.
“The money raised is not put into a bank account. It goes right back into the community,” Pilmer said.
Beykirch said great effort is spent to make sure the outing doesn’t “put taxpayers on the hook.”
“This fundraiser has very little staff time invested into it,” Pilmer said. “And that is because of Chris’ help as a volunteer and the contributions of time and talent that his committee puts in.”
“There’s no doubt that the mission of Golf for Kids has been clarified for future leadership,” Beykirch said. “New, young people have been brought on to the committee and will help plan the 25th annual event. We don’t want it to become stale. After all, it is the premier charity golf outing event in the Fox River Valley.”
For information about volunteerism at the Park District, call Debbie Smith, community outreach manager, at 630-966-4555.
Programs that received grants from the Park District Foundation based on this year’s Golf for Kids proceeds include: Summer Stage, Heroes in Health, Jesse “The Law” Torres Boxing Club, Sports Saturday, Outdoor Adventure Club, Mighty Acorns, Meals on the Move Free Lunch Program, Gone and Moved On (Helps schools meet requirement for Next Generation Science Standards), Summer Playground Camps, and Second Grade Learn to Swim Lessons.
The Fox Valley Park Foundation assists local youth so that all children have opportunities to experience enrichment programs, sports and camps. Its mission is to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives by providing them the opportunity to participate in Park District programs regardless of financial position.