A Fun Day Trip to Springfield

by Tom Weathers, Director Alton Park and Recreation Department

Would your Park District or Park and Recreation Department like a project that could give you some good public relations and expose your community leaders to programs and facilities you need? You might consider doing what Alton, Illinois, did.

The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and friends of Alton's Park and Recreation Departments sponsored and underwrote the cost of a fun day. The "FUN DAY" was a bus trip to one of the most progressive Park Districts in the State—Springfield, Illinois. Guests attending were told that the TIME they spent on this Fun Day would be a contribution better than money to the City of Alton. It was hoped that this visit would help those attending to implement Alton's present Park & Recreation Master Plan, which calls for needed facilities.

On the trip were 40 leaders of the Alton community from various governmental and private groups such as; the city council, the school board and administration, service clubs, news media, youth organizations, neighborhood centers, and business groups.

Robert H. Lawson, Springfield Park District Director, told the Alton group that "tax money is necessary both for operation and for use in obtaining federal matching funds for construction." Alton's City Commissions are more limited in tax base than is the Park District at Springfield, which extends beyond the city limits.

Robert H. Lawson, Director or the Springfield Park Districts, speaks with the visitors from Alton.

One of the main stops on the tour was at the new $2 million Franklin P. Nelson Center Recreation Complex (pool and ice rink), which the district hopes will be finished by November. Other stops were at the horticultural center, the Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon, three golf courses, tennis center, children's zoo, nature center, and several parks. Springfield maintains 1,318 acres of park land.

Gordon F. Moore, M.D., chairman of Alton's Park and Recreation Commissions, told the group that "there were gifts in the community if we would start helping ourselves." "We're going to have to tax ourselves," he continued, "to get that seed money for government money and gifts."

As one of the guests attending said on the way home, "Where to stop or where to begin, but at least its a beginning." Our next step now in Alton will be to call this group back together again in the not too distant future, to discuss the reaction to the trip, and what can be done to get citizen support to implement Alton's Master Park & Recreation Plan.

At the end of the tour, which was the Springfield Nature Center, there was a quote inscribed on one of the benches which seemed to fit the mission of this group so well.

"Determine the thing can and shall be done and find the way." Abe Lincoln.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 6 September/October, 1974