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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, From a very young age, Richard "Rick" Drazner was
3primed for a lifelong commitment to service above self; he
4harnessed those skills into a 25-plus year commitment to
5serving the residents and businesses of the Village of Buffalo
6Grove; he was a dedicated public servant, a business leader, a
7religious leader, and a great friend to many in his community;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a true servant to his community,
10an unsung hero who was instrumental to the enhancement,
11betterment, and improvement of the Village of Buffalo Grove;
12he was a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove for 25
13years, serving as president from 2004 to 2005; as a member, he
14was instrumental in providing vocational scholarships for
15years; he also attended numerous fundraising events, district
16conferences, and the Rotary International Conference in
17Chicago in 2005; and
 
18    WHEREAS, During his public service as a commissioner of
19the Buffalo Grove Park District for 20 years, Rick Drazner was
20instrumental in the growth and development of many great
21parks, including Willow Stream Park, the Mike Rylko Park, and
22Kendrigan Field at Twin Creeks Park, which is a Buddy Baseball
23field; he was involved in the growth of many of the facilities,

 

 

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1such as the fitness center, the golf dome, and the community
2arts center, where one of his favorite programs, Broadway
3Buddies, was developed; his involvement in these improvements
4has led the Village of Buffalo Grove to be given the perennial
5ranking in the top 50 best towns in the nation to live and the
6best Chicago suburb to raise a family; in addition to his
7innovative and active leadership on the park board, he
8attained the designation of Master Board Member by the
9Illinois Association of Park Districts for his outstanding
10service, leadership, and dedication to advancing parks,
11recreation, conservation, and special recreation agencies
12throughout Illinois; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was an engaged leader in the
14business community for more than 25 years; he served as a
15member of the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce
16for 25-plus years, during which he served as president, vice
17president, treasurer, and director; during his tenure as
18president, he enhanced the speaker education program,
19initiated innovative programs to add value to members'
20investment, and created an awareness initiative to highlight
21and promote businesses in Buffalo Grove; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner embraced the Buffalo Grove community
23as a religious leader as well; he served as president and vice
24president of his temple, Congregation Beth Judea, where he

 

 

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1taught religious study courses during service; he is
2remembered by numerous young adults in his community for
3additionally serving as their camp counselor and positively
4impacting their lives; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner truly exemplified the spirit of a
6selfless public servant; he wanted to make the world a little
7better each day, and he served at the highest level so that
8Buffalo Grove and the world community was ameliorated through
9the great service that he consistently provided over the
10course of his life; he did all of this with an incredibly
11positive attitude and always with his special humor to keep
12people smiling; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner passed away on April 5, 2019, three
14days after being reelected to the park board of commissioners;
15his life of service was commemorated in Twin Creeks Park,
16which was later renamed the Rick Drazner Park; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a loving husband and father;
18most of all, he was a giver of himself and a friend to all
19around him, and he supported and deeply believed in service
20above self; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
22ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of

 

 

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1Rick Drazner and declare July 10, 2023 as Rick Drazner Day in
2the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
4presented to the family of Rick Drazner and the Village of
5Buffalo Grove.