2023 VIP (Volunteers-in-parks) award winners
Each year Friends of the Parks puts out a call for nominations for groups and individuals that have gone above and beyond in making Chicago’s parks great places—through stewardship, advocacy, coordinating park-centric activities for the community, and other kinds of volunteerism. These may be folks who are actively involved with Friends of the Parks. Or they may be people we don’t know yet, but we really should! On December 2, 2023 we celebrated this year's awardees in the following 10 categories.
- Individual Volunteer: Nieves Baizan (La Villita Park)
- Park Advisory Council: Mary Bartelme PAC
- Stewardship: Janet Swenson (Lincoln Park)
- Community Organization: Jackson Park Yacht Club
- Nature-Based Solutions: Melissa Whiting (Park 559)
- Chicago Park District Employee of the Year: Bertino Smith
- Advocacy: Preservation Chicago
- “Smoky Sakurada” Friends of Friends of the Parks: Alliance of the Southeast,
Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Standing Witnesses - Lifetime Achievement: Midnight Circus
- Spirit of Chicago: New Life Centers
Individual Volunteer Award
Nieves Baizan
Nieves Baizan always goes above and beyond in her dedication to South Lawndale’s La Villita Park. While managing through her own life challenges, she is at the park every early morning picking up trash and engaging with park patrons. She documents needs in the park and inspires others to be more cognizant of their own roles as caretakers of the collective community space that the park represents. Her volunteer stewardship has not gone unnoticed and this year led to a paid position as a park attendant.
Nieves's commitment to her community is apparent in the way she shows up year after year in aiding park programming, including playing a leading role in organizing the Mexican Independence Day "El Grito de Dolores" celebration. Her relationship building skills have also allowed different groups to come together to better the lives of Little Village youth.
Nieves is known for her kindness, discipline and humility. Her influence is felt in the overall ambiance at La Villita Park—a place that is lively with an overall feeling of unity and safety. For outstanding dedication and impact on La Villita Park, we honor Nieves with the Individual Volunteer VIP Award.
Nieves's commitment to her community is apparent in the way she shows up year after year in aiding park programming, including playing a leading role in organizing the Mexican Independence Day "El Grito de Dolores" celebration. Her relationship building skills have also allowed different groups to come together to better the lives of Little Village youth.
Nieves is known for her kindness, discipline and humility. Her influence is felt in the overall ambiance at La Villita Park—a place that is lively with an overall feeling of unity and safety. For outstanding dedication and impact on La Villita Park, we honor Nieves with the Individual Volunteer VIP Award.
Park Advisory Council Award
Mary Bartelme PAC
Formerly the site of an old infirmary, Mary Bartelme Park is a 2.71 acre park in the Near West Side Community Area that features elements combining a sense of history with modern, innovative design. Three strong, diagonal paths intersect in this one-block park to create distinct, programmed zones. These zones include a fountain plaza, a children’s play area, a sunken dog park, an open lawn area, a viewing hill and enclosed seating area.
Due to the diligent efforts of the Park Advisory Council, Mary Bartelme Park is welcoming and well used. A quick scroll through their Facebook page shows the effort they put into organizing events and spreading the word about other happenings in the community. They prioritize inclusivity in their busy schedule, including activities and celebrations related to Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas. Check out this video of this year's Diwali celebration.
For their consistent efforts to activate and care for the park and their efforts to make all neighbors feel at home, we honor the Mary Bartelme Park PAC as this year’s PAC VIP.
Due to the diligent efforts of the Park Advisory Council, Mary Bartelme Park is welcoming and well used. A quick scroll through their Facebook page shows the effort they put into organizing events and spreading the word about other happenings in the community. They prioritize inclusivity in their busy schedule, including activities and celebrations related to Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas. Check out this video of this year's Diwali celebration.
For their consistent efforts to activate and care for the park and their efforts to make all neighbors feel at home, we honor the Mary Bartelme Park PAC as this year’s PAC VIP.
Stewardship Award
Janet Swenson
Janet is a long time steward at Lincoln Park. She gets her boots and hands dirty to clean, weed, and generally beautify the park at North Pond Gardener workdays. She is also a Wildflower Walk leader and content expert in multiple areas of native flora and fauna—inspiring and serving as a resource for not just park visitors but fellow volunteers and staff as well. Check out this video of one of her tours.
Janet’s contributions have directly benefited the health of the natural areas of the park. She represents good stewardship on all levels, caring for natural spaces and making connections with people along the way. She speaks about the park and native plants in such a way that she brings the natural world and Chicago’s natural history into context, while also making it feel accessible and exciting to all people who visit the park. For these reasons and more, we honor Janet with our Stewardship Award.
Janet’s contributions have directly benefited the health of the natural areas of the park. She represents good stewardship on all levels, caring for natural spaces and making connections with people along the way. She speaks about the park and native plants in such a way that she brings the natural world and Chicago’s natural history into context, while also making it feel accessible and exciting to all people who visit the park. For these reasons and more, we honor Janet with our Stewardship Award.
Community Organization Award
Jackson Park Yacht Club
This year we received a phone call from Vice-commodore Chiaka Patterson of the Jackson Park Yacht Club (JPYC) seeking advocacy help related to conditions in Jackson Park Outer Harbor. Lack of routine dredging maintenance over the years had rendered the harbor dangerous to navigate and was causing damage to boats that moored there. The harbor was becoming inaccessible.
Accessibility is at the heart of JPYC’s work. The 125 year old harbor and boating club has a long-standing history of welcoming all Chicagoans regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity--creating a nurturing environment for sailors that might otherwise be excluded from the sport. Unfortunately, JYPC has lost over 50% of its boating membership in recent years due to inadequate dredging of the harbor, despite a contract being in place to provide this maintenance. Letting the sediment accumulate essentially makes the waters more shallow which is compounded when lake levels are low.
After lack of park district responsiveness, they reached out to FOTP. When we encouraged them to testify at the next meeting of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, they came out in force. Multiple speakers representing a cross section of Chicago shared what an incredible impact sailing and JPYC have had on their life. Commodore Marlon Harvey followed with a clear explanation of the technical aspects of the dredging problems and evidence of the contractual lapses that have led to them. In response to this advocacy, the harbor was dredged to the full depth of 10 feet, with the Park District committing to establishing a harbor maintenance plan. For enduring commitment to making sailing welcoming and accessible to all Chicagoans and successful advocacy efforts to improve conditions in the Jackson Park Outer Harbor, we honor the Jackson Park Yacht Club with this year’s Community Organization VIP Award. For more about their work and this award, see coverage from the Hyde Park Herald.
Accessibility is at the heart of JPYC’s work. The 125 year old harbor and boating club has a long-standing history of welcoming all Chicagoans regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity--creating a nurturing environment for sailors that might otherwise be excluded from the sport. Unfortunately, JYPC has lost over 50% of its boating membership in recent years due to inadequate dredging of the harbor, despite a contract being in place to provide this maintenance. Letting the sediment accumulate essentially makes the waters more shallow which is compounded when lake levels are low.
After lack of park district responsiveness, they reached out to FOTP. When we encouraged them to testify at the next meeting of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, they came out in force. Multiple speakers representing a cross section of Chicago shared what an incredible impact sailing and JPYC have had on their life. Commodore Marlon Harvey followed with a clear explanation of the technical aspects of the dredging problems and evidence of the contractual lapses that have led to them. In response to this advocacy, the harbor was dredged to the full depth of 10 feet, with the Park District committing to establishing a harbor maintenance plan. For enduring commitment to making sailing welcoming and accessible to all Chicagoans and successful advocacy efforts to improve conditions in the Jackson Park Outer Harbor, we honor the Jackson Park Yacht Club with this year’s Community Organization VIP Award. For more about their work and this award, see coverage from the Hyde Park Herald.
Nature-Based Solutions Award
Melissa Whiting
This year’s new Nature-Based Solutions Award reflects our ongoing work to build community and political support for a green, nature-based approach to protect our lakefront from climate change driven erosion and to ensure all 26 miles of it are truly open, clear and free for all.
Melissa Whiting is a dedicated ambassador for this message. She was instrumental in the formation of the Edgewater Park Improvement Coalition, a grassroots effort to improve area parks with a special focus on Park 559 which borders but is blocked off from Lake Michigan. Through her leadership and dedication, Park 559 was recently green lit for a community butterfly garden featuring native plants funded with support from one of our seed grants. And as she works with neighbors from the high rises on either side to design the park, she is planting seeds to generate interest in improving public access to the lake, and making connections to the north and south. . . i.e. advancing the vision of a parks and paths system that spans our entire shoreline.
For her tireless efforts to protect and improve access to our lakeshore through gardening and community building, we honor Melissa with our inaugural Nature-Based Solutions Award.
Melissa Whiting is a dedicated ambassador for this message. She was instrumental in the formation of the Edgewater Park Improvement Coalition, a grassroots effort to improve area parks with a special focus on Park 559 which borders but is blocked off from Lake Michigan. Through her leadership and dedication, Park 559 was recently green lit for a community butterfly garden featuring native plants funded with support from one of our seed grants. And as she works with neighbors from the high rises on either side to design the park, she is planting seeds to generate interest in improving public access to the lake, and making connections to the north and south. . . i.e. advancing the vision of a parks and paths system that spans our entire shoreline.
For her tireless efforts to protect and improve access to our lakeshore through gardening and community building, we honor Melissa with our inaugural Nature-Based Solutions Award.
Chicago Park District Employee of the Year
Bertino Smith
Bertino Smith supervises Berger and neighboring parks in the Edgewater community. He can frequently be seen walking the parks to ensure they are up to code and safe and that the flora and fauna are well cared for. During these visits, he takes the time to talk to patrons, doing his best to answer questions and take note of concerns. Understanding that the people who frequent the parks know the needs of the parks, he has an open-door policy and encourages people to stop by. This helps him advocate for community needs.
For both keeping a watchful eye on the parks and listening ear for those who use them, we honor Bertino Smith with a Chicago Park District Employee of the Year award.
For both keeping a watchful eye on the parks and listening ear for those who use them, we honor Bertino Smith with a Chicago Park District Employee of the Year award.
Advocacy Award
Preservation Chicago
This year's advocacy award goes to Preservation Chicago. It is not uncommon for there to be overlap on park-related projects that are on Friends of the Parks' agenda and that of Preservation Chicago. And this has very much been the case in the last two years. Per their historic preservation focus, one big campaign where they have played a strong role over the last couple of years alongside neighborhood activists has been the fight to preserve the limestone revetments that line the lakeshore at Promontory Point.
On top of that, in 2023 they played an invaluable role in challenging the illegal construction of a supposed archive building in Humboldt Park by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture on land they lease from the Chicago Park District. In addition to being built without building permits from the City of Chicago, the unsightly structure was sited next to the historic and architecturally significant former stables building that once served as the office of renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. Preservation Chicago tenaciously submitted and reviewed myriad Freedom of Information Act requests to unearth details about the situation, making clear that the museum had misrepresented the truth about their plans on various occasions to various government entities who also weren’t communicating well with one another. They shared the information with strategic government, regional, and local partners as well as the media to ensure distribution of factual information in support of organizing and advocacy pressure. They also coordinated with various players to ensure a steady stream of testimony at Chicago Park District board of commissioners calling for the demolition of the unauthorized building.
This advocacy was a key ingredient in a successful outcome. In Fall 2023, an announcement was made that the unpermitted structure in the park would be torn down and a non-park site would be found in the community for a museum archives building! Despite the fight that took place, Preservation Chicago continues in a cooperative conversation with the museum to help them find solutions to maximize the use of the historic stables building they occupy.
On top of that, in 2023 they played an invaluable role in challenging the illegal construction of a supposed archive building in Humboldt Park by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture on land they lease from the Chicago Park District. In addition to being built without building permits from the City of Chicago, the unsightly structure was sited next to the historic and architecturally significant former stables building that once served as the office of renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. Preservation Chicago tenaciously submitted and reviewed myriad Freedom of Information Act requests to unearth details about the situation, making clear that the museum had misrepresented the truth about their plans on various occasions to various government entities who also weren’t communicating well with one another. They shared the information with strategic government, regional, and local partners as well as the media to ensure distribution of factual information in support of organizing and advocacy pressure. They also coordinated with various players to ensure a steady stream of testimony at Chicago Park District board of commissioners calling for the demolition of the unauthorized building.
This advocacy was a key ingredient in a successful outcome. In Fall 2023, an announcement was made that the unpermitted structure in the park would be torn down and a non-park site would be found in the community for a museum archives building! Despite the fight that took place, Preservation Chicago continues in a cooperative conversation with the museum to help them find solutions to maximize the use of the historic stables building they occupy.
Smoky Sakurada Friends of Friends of the Parks Award
Alliance of the Southeast, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and standing witnesses
This year, our special category recognizing deep friendship and collaboration goes to our closest co-laborers in our lawsuit, filed in March 2023, to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from expanding the height and extending the life of the Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) pollution dump next to Calumet Park and at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Calumet River. So we give our "Smoky Sakurada" Friends of Friends of the Parks Award to the Alliance of the Southeast (ASE), our co-plaintiff, our lawyers at Environmental Law & Policy Center, and those who were willing to put themselves on the line in their community and serve as standing witnesses.
For years, we have been engaged with Southeast Side partners in monitoring the Confined Disposal Facility, a toxic dredge dump that was supposed to have a life of 10 years when it was opened in 1984. It was supposed to have been turned over to the Chicago Park District in 2022 to be converted into parkland! As we are about to enter the 30th year past its original closure date, together we continue to demand the closure, capping, and remediation of the existing site which is already leaching toxins into our drinking water. Now, along with the 40-member community coalition ASE, we are suing to protect this lakefront site that faces enhanced lakeshore erosion threats in light of climate change. In doing so, we are also agreeing with these community stakeholders who have led the way in insisting that any alternative sites for the CDF not be in the 10th Ward or any environmental justice community. Via the coordination and leadership of ASE, these local voices are now paving a path toward identification of possible sites that could represent a real solution.
Meanwhile, Environmental Law & Policy Center has stepped up to serve as our pro-bono, public interest lawyers to file a lawsuit based on the public trust doctrine and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). They have already confronted the Army Corps in a status hearing before the judge and successfully stopped forward movement on the dump expansion that was about to happen despite the absence of permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, they have brought to bear their significant expertise and connections in the political sphere to help bring elected officials along toward potentially intervening to craft a viable solution outside of the litigation process.
And to make the lawsuit viable, a number of brave neighbors have signed on as standing witnesses, as partners with us and ASE in demonstrating to the court that we have the right to bring this lawsuit: JB Daniel, Amy Linder, Walter Marcisz, Ders Anderson, Steven Walsch, Joann Podkul, Marie Collins-Wright and Arnold Bradford.
To these fierce warriors who are such key partners in our biggest pro-park, environmental justice battle of 2023, we salute you in the spirit of late friend of the parks, Smoky Sakurada!
For years, we have been engaged with Southeast Side partners in monitoring the Confined Disposal Facility, a toxic dredge dump that was supposed to have a life of 10 years when it was opened in 1984. It was supposed to have been turned over to the Chicago Park District in 2022 to be converted into parkland! As we are about to enter the 30th year past its original closure date, together we continue to demand the closure, capping, and remediation of the existing site which is already leaching toxins into our drinking water. Now, along with the 40-member community coalition ASE, we are suing to protect this lakefront site that faces enhanced lakeshore erosion threats in light of climate change. In doing so, we are also agreeing with these community stakeholders who have led the way in insisting that any alternative sites for the CDF not be in the 10th Ward or any environmental justice community. Via the coordination and leadership of ASE, these local voices are now paving a path toward identification of possible sites that could represent a real solution.
Meanwhile, Environmental Law & Policy Center has stepped up to serve as our pro-bono, public interest lawyers to file a lawsuit based on the public trust doctrine and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). They have already confronted the Army Corps in a status hearing before the judge and successfully stopped forward movement on the dump expansion that was about to happen despite the absence of permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, they have brought to bear their significant expertise and connections in the political sphere to help bring elected officials along toward potentially intervening to craft a viable solution outside of the litigation process.
And to make the lawsuit viable, a number of brave neighbors have signed on as standing witnesses, as partners with us and ASE in demonstrating to the court that we have the right to bring this lawsuit: JB Daniel, Amy Linder, Walter Marcisz, Ders Anderson, Steven Walsch, Joann Podkul, Marie Collins-Wright and Arnold Bradford.
To these fierce warriors who are such key partners in our biggest pro-park, environmental justice battle of 2023, we salute you in the spirit of late friend of the parks, Smoky Sakurada!
Lifetime Achievement Award
Midnight Circus
Midnight Circus was founded in 2007 by local performers Jeff and Julie Jenkins. The troupe includes a variety of trapeze artists, tightrope walkers and acrobats, including world-class Cirque du Soleil performers in addition to the couple’s own kids. This unique and beloved program is a precursor to the current Night Out of the Parks program.
Their love for the parks in this city is so immense that for many years they have worked with a variety of Park Advisory Councils, elected officials, residents and volunteers to bring the combination of music, theatrical, and acrobatic performance to neighborhoods across the city to support fundraising for park activities. Midnight Circus has helped to raise approximately $2 million through ticket sales, concessions and more. Some of the projects that benefited were things like rebuilding playgrounds, nature paths, and after-school tutoring services. Recently, they adjusted to COVID-19 realities and altered their approach to conduct an open air tour in 2022.
“Midnight Circus in the Parks does not just put up the tent, collect ticket fees and move on. They work with local community groups for the months leading up to the weekend of shows. They bring community leaders from all of the participating parks together to help share best practices in promoting, fundraising, recruiting and effectively utilizing volunteers to improve the park and surrounding neighborhood” – Patrick Brosnan, Executive Director, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (former FOTP VIP Award winning organization.)
Also a part of this recognition is appreciation for their compassion embodied in the special performance they put on under the Little Big Top tent at Welles Park to raise funds for Puerto Rico relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. All performers donated their time, and $18,000 in funds were raised.
For using the magical power of circus arts to bring joy to thousands of Chicagoans for 16 years and at the same time raising millions to support and improve parks across the city, we present the Midnight Circus with this lifetime award.
Their love for the parks in this city is so immense that for many years they have worked with a variety of Park Advisory Councils, elected officials, residents and volunteers to bring the combination of music, theatrical, and acrobatic performance to neighborhoods across the city to support fundraising for park activities. Midnight Circus has helped to raise approximately $2 million through ticket sales, concessions and more. Some of the projects that benefited were things like rebuilding playgrounds, nature paths, and after-school tutoring services. Recently, they adjusted to COVID-19 realities and altered their approach to conduct an open air tour in 2022.
“Midnight Circus in the Parks does not just put up the tent, collect ticket fees and move on. They work with local community groups for the months leading up to the weekend of shows. They bring community leaders from all of the participating parks together to help share best practices in promoting, fundraising, recruiting and effectively utilizing volunteers to improve the park and surrounding neighborhood” – Patrick Brosnan, Executive Director, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (former FOTP VIP Award winning organization.)
Also a part of this recognition is appreciation for their compassion embodied in the special performance they put on under the Little Big Top tent at Welles Park to raise funds for Puerto Rico relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. All performers donated their time, and $18,000 in funds were raised.
For using the magical power of circus arts to bring joy to thousands of Chicagoans for 16 years and at the same time raising millions to support and improve parks across the city, we present the Midnight Circus with this lifetime award.
Spirit of Chicago
New Life Centers
The tagline for this organization is “Creating the Beloved Community Together” and they live that mission in many ways every day. Friends of the Parks has been watching New Life Centers’ work for a number of years and has been especially impressed since we took note of their role in promoting coalition-building among Latinos and African-Americans, using Douglass Park as a gathering and celebration space, amidst the civil rights uprisings during the pandemic. Since their intervention amidst tension at the time across racial and ethnic lines, they have been a leader in the One Lawndale movement to bring together residents from North Lawndale and South Lawndale--otherwise known as Little Village, where they are based.
Since then, New Life has become a leader in receiving migrants arriving in Chicago. Little Village’s Piotrowski Park has now been a temporary shelter site for migrants for several months. The organization had a long history of engaging the community via Piotrowski Park programming, including through the Little Village Little League program which was launched in 2010 to provide a safe space with high-quality baseball programs for young people in the neighborhood. It began with 50 and has grown to over 300 kids playing baseball, year-round training, and a strong partnership with the Chicago Cubs. This program is about more than sport; it is where youth receive mentorship via coaching, families build community connections, and it’s about improving important public park spaces while having fun!
While New Life Centers leadership notes that it is important for the incumbent community that often experiences inadequate investment to have access to parks and park programming, they immediately went into planning mode to expand their park-focused community activities to welcome their “Nuevos Vecinos.” Not only were children able to play baseball, which is massively popular in Venezuela—the native country of many recent migrants--but their parents participated in sports and exercise classes. There have been cook outs and parties on site to give the neighbors around Piotrowski a chance to stop in and get to know the new families. New neighbors have been welcomed not only to receive help but also to pitch in to cook and serve and be part of the collective effort. All in all, New Life Centers’ approach is a fantastic way to embody the generosity of this city. For that we thank them for their work via the 2023 Spirit of Chicago VIP award.
Since then, New Life has become a leader in receiving migrants arriving in Chicago. Little Village’s Piotrowski Park has now been a temporary shelter site for migrants for several months. The organization had a long history of engaging the community via Piotrowski Park programming, including through the Little Village Little League program which was launched in 2010 to provide a safe space with high-quality baseball programs for young people in the neighborhood. It began with 50 and has grown to over 300 kids playing baseball, year-round training, and a strong partnership with the Chicago Cubs. This program is about more than sport; it is where youth receive mentorship via coaching, families build community connections, and it’s about improving important public park spaces while having fun!
While New Life Centers leadership notes that it is important for the incumbent community that often experiences inadequate investment to have access to parks and park programming, they immediately went into planning mode to expand their park-focused community activities to welcome their “Nuevos Vecinos.” Not only were children able to play baseball, which is massively popular in Venezuela—the native country of many recent migrants--but their parents participated in sports and exercise classes. There have been cook outs and parties on site to give the neighbors around Piotrowski a chance to stop in and get to know the new families. New neighbors have been welcomed not only to receive help but also to pitch in to cook and serve and be part of the collective effort. All in all, New Life Centers’ approach is a fantastic way to embody the generosity of this city. For that we thank them for their work via the 2023 Spirit of Chicago VIP award.