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McLeansboro honored for volunteer efforts to build youth playground

By Tara Fasol, The Southern

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 9:35 AM CST

MCLEANSBORO - Mayor Dick Dietz was as happy as a child Tuesday afternoon as he accepted the Governor's Cup Award for volunteer efforts that helped build a playground for youth.

"We won it all," he laughed. "I'm excited right now."

Talking on his cell phone as he prepared to leave Springfield and head back to Southern Illinois, Dietz could barely contain his joy as he explained the shock that came from being chosen as one of eight Governor's Hometown Award winners and bringing home the overall prize of the Governor's Cup.

"We got a big silver cup and we are going to bring it back to Southern Illinois," he said. "We are just now leaving Springfield and we are ready to come back home. The program started at 1 p.m. and we didn't know until it was announced. We had a big banquet with about 500 people present from all over the entire State of Illinois. They announced the eight finalists that won the Governor's Hometown Award and the best in the state awarded out of the eight got the Governor's Cup."

Dietz said he was not expecting McLeansboro to take home the big prize but was honored to accept.

"You're in there running with the big dogs," he said about statewide competition. "We are so humbled."

The Kids Kingdom Playground was built in the center of the city park thanks to a donation by Utah Jazz coach and McLeansboro native Jerry Sloan through the Jerry and Bobbye Sloan hand-in-Hand Foundation.

The foundation was formed after Bobbye, Jerry's wife, lost a long battle with pancreatic cancer in June of 2004.

"He gave us $100,000 and we built the park in five days," Dietz explained. "We had 2,300 volunteer spots and we averaged 535 the first several days."

The mayor said he was particularly impressed with the community support and level of volunteerism that made the project a success.

"Every year a new class of volunteers stands out and the work that they do every day helps hundreds of people in their communities," said Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a release by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"The Home Town Awards are an opportunity for us to say thank you for their contributions to improving the quality of life for communities around Illinois. They represent volunteerism, selflessness, and true humanity," he said.

As for the public, Dietz said the people of Southern Illinois are welcome to come out and see firsthand the fruits of much volunteer labor, "anytime you want to play."

tara.fasol@thesouthern.com/351-5824