Jason Pilecki, a sports supervisor with the Wilmette Park District, was readying his young staff to oversee some of the park district’s Independence Day fun at Gillson Park on July 3, but stopped to talk to Pioneer Press about good advice, good movies and good summer eating.
Q: Where do you hail from, and how long have you worked with the park district?
A: I live in Elk Grove (Village), and I have been with the park district since 2009.
Q: What is your favorite summer holiday food, and why?
A: I’d have to say a cheeseburger fresh from the grill, because I make it, and can control how it comes out. Once it’s done, just put a little salt and pepper on it, then some ketchup and mustard, and it’s great. For a summertime dessert, I’d have to go with cheesecake, cheesecake with cherries.
Q: Do you have a cause or charity that you’d like people to be aware of?
A: I have two, since they both hit home. The first is the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/) because I have that disease. The second one is the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (msfocus.org/) for my mother-in-law, who has multiple sclerosis.
Q: Did you have a childhood hero?
A: I was a big baseball freak – I still am – so a hero I had when I grew up was Roger Clemens. I was a (Boston) Red Sox fan then because I grew up on the East Coast, and I still am. But my wife was really happy last year when the Cubs won, because she’s a Cubs fan.
Q: What was some of the best advice you ever received?
A: I’d go with, ‘Be yourself; stay true to yourself.’ I don’t remember who I got that from.
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Q: What was the last movie you saw?
A: Last week, my son, and my daughter, and my wife, went to see ‘Cars 3.’ It was fun; we liked it.
Q: How do you keep cool in the heat?
A: I’m a pool guy. We go to Rainbow Falls in Elk Grove; it’s a water park.
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
– Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press