Congratulations to the five agencies that received a 2022 Employee Wellness Grant! In the fall, PDRMA Health awards up to $5,000 in grants to help member agencies run innovative wellness programs for their employees.

The agencies that earned grants last year were able to pursue a variety of wellness programs/activities from potluck lunches to volunteer opportunities. Read more about the winners and see if you’re inspired with an idea to submit a grant application for your agency in 2023!  

Lombard Park District — Get Your Steps in Scavenger Hunt

Administrative Team in coats, ready to go for a walk and look for the scavenger hunt item.

Lombard Human Resources/Risk Manager and founding Lombard Park District Wellness Committee member Maria Foerstel says her agency used its grant money to sponsor a novel five-week-long scavenger hunt for its 44 full-time employees to log their steps. To win, they not only had to find the prizes — a soccer ball, water bottle, collection of fun-at-the-pool supplies — but they also had to figure out in which park the prizes were hidden.

Each Monday of the hunt, Foerstel emailed a picture of that week’s prize along with three hints describing in which of the 20 parks employees could find the item. The instructions told employees to go to the respective park for a walk to look for the item. The first person to send her a photo of the item where they found it won that prize and a $50 gift card. Even if they didn’t find the item, folks could document their participation by taking a selfie at the park and sending it to Foerstel anytime that week and be entered into a drawing at the end of the scavenger hunt for one of five $25 gift-card drawings for those who did not win the scavenger hunt prize.

Nicole Kondraschow at Four Seasons Park.

Foerstel was pleased to have met her goal of 50-percent participation for the scavenger hunt. Rotating off the Wellness Committee this year, she is proud of her three grant-winning submissions — especially this one, where the feedback from so many employees was so positive!

“I loved this program!” says Graphic Designer Allie Corcoran, “It was so much fun and got everyone up and out every week. With having the prize at a different park each week — and with everyone being competitive — it really was something to look forward to.”

Batavia Park District — Lunchtime Fitness Buffet

Throughout the year, Batavia Park District is offering instructor-led fitness classes on Mondays and Wednesdays for employees. The classes include a variety of physical activities including cardio and stretching. The goal is to motivate employees to be active throughout the workday and to step away from their desks for at least 30 minutes each day.

Morton Grove Park District — Be Kind to Your Mind

Morton Grove’s year-long wellness program provides employees with activities and incentives to help reduce stress in the workplace and support positive mental health. The goal is to provide healthy ways of coping with stress at home and work, while emphasizing positive mental health discussions and building strong professional relationships. Every month, there is a different activity in which all full-time employees can participate, including professional massages, puzzles and a live, on-site comedy act. They also can receive a gift card based on their monthly participation.

Vernon Hills Park District — Light Therapy

Vernon Hills is providing a desktop light therapy lamp to employees who participate during its 10-week program that encourages participants to use the lamp either at home or work. Employees can use the lamp consistently for the 10 weeks, which should improve their mental and physical well-being during the dark, winter months. The employee who logs the most time using the lamp during work hours receives a gift card.

Woodridge Park District — Employee Engagement Committee

At Woodridge Park District, employees can participate in once-a-month activities that promote team building and social wellness. Activities include a potluck meal, volunteer opportunities and other events that engage and motivate employees to focus on teamwork and bonding.