Today everything that is not considered essential is shut down. Grocery stores, hospitals, and many other businesses remain open, although many people find themselves without jobs or not being able to work their jobs as their businesses have closed down during this pandemic. One part of the country that remains open to give people the escape from their houses is public parks, and that includes one in Bartlett Illinois called Sunrise Park.

Sunrise Park has been open and providing outdoor experience for friends and families for years. Today children and adults know of the park and have had experiences there that will last a lifetime.

“I’ve gotten to have many experiences at this park in the past 20 years of my life, and even continue to play disc golf on the course today, as this park provides me a chance to get out of the house during the pandemic.” said Bartlett resident Michael Falco who has lived in the Bartlett neighborhood his entire life and uses any chance he gets to get out and play disc golf.

Michael is just one of many who can be found in the park almost everyday as the sport continues to grow. Although it’s not as popular as other major sports, it’s one of the few sports that people can play today that does not involve physical contact.

Disc golf is just one of the many aspects that the park provides to its visitors, as the game is played exactly like normal golf although the participant throws a frisbee into a basket instead, and the best part being the game is free to play.

With having 18 holes spaced out throughout the park, the course provides many challenges for its participants as the course includes water, forests, and hills making the game challenging for regulars.

Giving families and friends the chance to escape and get fresh air during these troubling times is one of the benefits of keeping the parks open, as they provide numerous ways for people everywhere to have just a brief period of time to not think about the troubles in the world today.

Along with the disc golf course the park also includes a pond that the village stocks with fish every year to give everyone a chance to go fishing, as the small pond is a great place to get one’s first experience of fishing.

“When I was a little boy this was the first place that my grandpa took me fishing to teach me the ropes and the aspects of fishing.” said Nico Tolia who has since grown up and continues to fish today even going north to lakes in Canada.

Keeping the parks open it a great way for parents or even grandparents to take their kids to the pond to either gain their first fishing experience or just to enjoy the sport. Still today if one was to drive past the pond there could be families spotted enjoying a nice day and hopefully reeling in a big one.

Continuing to provide the community with a great experience the park also offers numerous trails for individuals to bike on. These trails lead to multiple different places in the park and bring the riders to any part they want to experience that day.

If the family wants to go to the playground there’s a trail that leads there, or a shortcut through the neighborhood of Bartlett wants to be taken the park provides that as well.

“My favorite part of this park is that it has remained open throughout this time, as I hope it continues to stay open so I have a good place to walk my dog.” said James Polous who uses the trails to walk his dog, as the park is more scenic then the neighborhood.

Keeping the parks opened has provided the residents of the neighborhood and surrounding towns a chance to escape the troubling times people are facing. This is really all anyone can ask for in these times is a chance to escape.