Katie Grundin is the lakefront coordinator throughout the metropolis’s Parks and Recreation Department. You might have met her this previous summer season. Her obligations embody the lakefront camps, the boat launches, water leases like paddle boards and kayaks at Dempster Street Beach.
Grundin is the one who got here up with the thought for The Great Elf Hunt, which launches in Evanston this coming Monday, Dec. 18. What was her inspiration for such an occasion?
“I’ve always had an artsy background,” she defined. “I did a bunch of different art classes and art camps as a kid and I like crafting. It’s something I enjoy doing on my own time. And so I like bringing it to work with me and coming up with new and fun hands-on ideas.”
Although she has labored on the parks division for a couple of 12 months, she’s already made an affect.
“We’ve been trying to implement more programming down at the lakefront. So last summer, we had some movies at the beaches and community parties and that kind of stuff,” she stated.
Why this exercise now?
“I do a bunch of different outdoor programming and since I oversee the lakefront, you know, it’s a slow time of year for us in terms of being outside,” Grundin stated. “I was trying to find a way to put something together that would encourage people to get outside and even go to their neighborhood community centers or go to one that they’ve never been to. So we came up with a scavenger hunt idea and then wanted to put a winter holiday twist to it, so that’s how we came up with The Great Elf Hunt.”
Each elf is 16″ tall and dressed in a definite coloration. There shall be one elf at 10 totally different places, both out of doors parks or public areas of neighborhood facilities.
The six neighborhood facilities embody:
The 4 parks are:
Is she anxious about any elves disappearing? Not actually. And Grundin has a contingency plan.
“We’ll be keeping a close eye on the ones in the park because they’ll be on frame signs stuck into the grass. So hopefully they don’t walk off, but we’ll replace them if they do.”
The elf hunt runs from Monday, Dec. 18, till Thursday, Dec. 28. People ought to take an image with the elf they discover after which ship it to kgrundin@cityofevanston.org to be entered right into a raffle. If you discover all 10, you’ll have 10 totally different entries in the raffle. The drawing will happen on Jan. 2. Winners shall be notified by electronic mail.
The prizes are reward playing cards from totally different native companies.
“I sent out an email to a bunch of local businesses and asked if they wanted to donate a prize of some sort,” Grundin stated. “So we have gift cards for six different local restaurants and then some gift cards that can be used for classes or camps at the Art Makers Outpost in southeast Evanston.”
Grundin stated, “I might be pleased for everybody to take part. I believe it’ll be an excellent exercise for households and children, ages three to eight, however anybody is welcome to take part.