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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, From a very young age, Richard "Rick" Drazner was
3groomed for a life-long commitment to "service above self"; he
4harnessed those skills in to a 25-plus year commitment to
5serving the residents and businesses in 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 community servant; he was
10one of those unsung heroes and was instrumental to the
11enhancement, betterment, and improvement of his great
12community; he was a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove
13for 25 years, serving as president in 2004 to 2005; for years,
14he was instrumental in providing vocational scholarships; he
15attended numerous fund-raising events and district conferences
16and the Rotary International Conference in Chicago in 2005; he
17could always be found with a contagious smile at the various
18Rotary, park district, and chamber of commerce events; he
19lived to support the park district programs, enhance the
20chamber of commerce, and help the Rotary raise money so that
21others could benefit; and
 
22    WHEREAS, During his public service capacity as a
23commissioner of the Buffalo Grove Park District for 20 years,

 

 

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1Rick Drazner was instrumental in the growth and development of
2many great parks, such as Willow Stream Park, Mike Rylko Park,
3and Kendrigan Field at Twin Creeks Park, which is a Buddy
4Baseball field; he was involved in the growth of many of the
5facilities, such as the fitness center, the golf dome, and the
6community arts center, where one of his favorite programs,
7Broadway Buddies, was developed; these improvements
8prominently factored into reasons why the Village of Buffalo
9Grove is given the perennial ranking in the top 50 best towns
10in the nation to live and the best Chicago suburb to raise a
11family; in addition to his innovative and active leadership on
12the park board, he attained the designation of Master Board
13Member by the Illinois Association of Park Districts for his
14outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to advancing
15parks, recreation, conservation, and special recreation
16agencies throughout Illinois; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner had been engaged in the business
18community as a leader for more than 25 years; he was a member
19of the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce for
2025-plus years, and he served as president, vice president,
21treasurer, and director over the years; during his tenure as
22the president of the chamber of commerce, he enhanced the
23speaker education program, initiated innovative programs to
24add value to members' investment, and created an awareness
25initiative to highlight and promote businesses in Buffalo

 

 

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1Grove; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner embraced the Buffalo Grove community
3as a religious leader as well; he served as president and vice
4president of his temple, Congregation Beth Judea, and taught
5religious study courses during service; numerous young adults
6in his community remember him as their camp counselor and
7remember how he positively impacted their lives; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner truly exemplified the spirit of a
9selfless public servant; he was actively engaged in service
10because serving others was a part of his DNA; he wanted to make
11the world a little better each day, and he served at the
12highest level so that Buffalo Grove and the world community
13was ameliorated through the great service that he consistently
14provided for 25-plus years; he did all of this with an
15incredibly positive attitude and always with his special humor
16to keep people smiling; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner passed away on April 5, 2019, three
18days after being reelected to the park board of commissioners;
19Twin Creeks Park, the park where a celebration is being held in
20his honor, is being renamed the "Rick Drazner Park"; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Rick Drazner was a loving husband and father; he
22was a Rotarian, a park district commissioner, and a chamber of

 

 

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1commerce member, and he was active with Congregation Beth
2Judea; most of all, he was a giver of himself and a friend to
3all around him, and he supported and deeply believed in
4service above self; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
7Rick Drazner and declare July 10, 2021 as "Rick Drazner Day" in
8the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to the family of Rick Drazner and the Village of
11Buffalo Grove.