‘Holiday in the Grove’ returns as Karen Pritchard retires as director of Sugar Grove Park District

While she may be extremely humble, Karen Pritchard isn’t afraid to ask what she wants for the Sugar Grove community and they often get it.

Even when asked about her recent retirement as executive director of the Sugar Grove Park District, she redirected the attention away from her and towards the community.

“Can’t I just fade away,” said Pritchard, who retired from the park district at the end of June. “Can we slant it toward the future? My involvement with the Kiwanis? Bringing back Holiday in the Grove?”

The popular Holiday in the Grove, which was canceled indefinitely in 2021 due to a lack of volunteers, is going to be returning to the Sugar Grove Community Building Dec. 3, thanks to the tireless efforts of Pritchard and the Kiwanis Club of Sugar Grove.

“She is the driving force behind our sponsorship of the Holiday in the Grove pancake breakfast on Dec. 3,” said Tom Sorfleet, president of the Kiwanis of Sugar Grove Township. “Karen was the member who brought the idea to the club, thought it fit our club’s values and would be a great signature event for us to sponsor.”

Sorflett first got to know Pritchard when she began attending Kiwanis meetings while representing the park district.

“What impresses me the most about Karen is everything she brings to the club for consideration is brought with the community benefit in mind,” he said. “She is focused on giving back to the community. I was worried when she announced that she was retiring from the park district and we would lose her from the Kiwanis. I am excited and happy to say what we gained was a new member as she joined the club individually as a member so she can continue to be part of the Kiwanis and give back to the children of Sugar Grove Township.”

It’s always been about the kids for Pritchard. When she first got involved with parks and recreation, it was simply because she was a mother of 3-year-old twin boys and recognized that her family and others like her own could benefit from getting outside and enjoying local parks.

She went around the town and documented the parks in Sugar Grove and the condition they were in. She appeared at the annual Sugar Grove Corn Boil and collected pennies for those parks. She created Friends of the Parks, a group of citizens that collaborated to support the park district.

“She called me when I was trying to get involved with things in town, but didn’t know many people and she informed us to the many reasons why the park district would be helpful to the community,” said Sugar Grove resident Pat Graceffa. “She’s always been the kindest person, always working while thinking of others and she never wants to be in the spotlight.”

But she doesn’t mind fighting for her community and that’s what she continued to do. She made phone calls. She attended meetings. Soon, she really was making change happen.

John Clayton, who was then working as the public works supervisor for the village of Sugar Grove, challenged Pritchard to become a part of the solution.

“The first big project was Keck Park when we got GameTime® playground equipment,” she said. “We made a deal where if we hosted a photo shoot and allowed them to use the photos as part of their catalog, we’d get a discount. We even helped put it together.”

It was only the beginning of Pritchard’s longtime working relationship with Clayton, spanning over 25 years as he’s now the superintendent of parks for the Sugar Grove Park District.

“I’ve been in the parks and recreation field for more than 35 years and in all that time I’ve never met anyone with as much dedication and propensity for hard work, one that goes well beyond what most others would be willing to commit of their time and energy,” Clayton said. “Karen is a leader, advocate for the community and simply an amazing person with whom I’ve had the privilege to know.”

Pritchard went from initially working out of her home for $3/hour to most recently working out of the Repede Center, where she served as superintendent of recreation before succeeding Greg Repede as executive director. For many years Pritchard worked alongside Repede, who was also the first full-time employee of the park district. She helped to hire him in 2003 after the district passed a referendum on April 1 of that same year. It increased the park district’s budget from a measly to $12,000 to $350,000.

“Karen has put her heart and soul into the Sugar Grove Park District, from the first day she helped form it many years ago until even today, as she continues to volunteer after retiring,” said Dawn Eby, president of the Sugar Grove Park District’s Board of Commissioners. “She was a consummate leader and mentor to her staff and a truly treasured partner to the board. Our hearts all sank when she announced she was leaving. She will be deeply missed.”

Eby explained that Pritchard transitioned seamlessly into Repede’s role and not only continued to thrive but found a way to persevere through the unprecedented times of the pandemic.

“During Covid, the park district, like so many other entities, really struggled, but Karen found ways to keep all of our staff continuously employed and creatively maintained programming for our residents,” she said. “Her last goal while facing retirement was to make sure she left the park district in good hands, and that she did by selflessly making sure that Scott Nadeau, our new executive director, had everything he needed for a smooth transition.”

Pritchard’s latest transition is into grandmother mode. She wasn’t expecting her first grandchild until Oct. 27, which just so happens to be her wedding anniversary, but Mia Rose Pritchard arrived on Oct. 7.

“It’s fantastic,” she said about her promotion to grandparent. “I may be biased, but I think I have the most perfect, beautiful granddaughter that was ever born.”

Holiday in the Grove is Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Sugar Grove Community Building, 141 Main St., Sugar Grove. The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and features breakfast with Santa, photos with Santa, carriage rides, a cake walk and many other games, activities and entertainment.