Pekin Marigold Festival

The Pekin Marigold Festival Committee is happy to announce Tom Elliott as the 2019 Marigold Festival Grand Marshal. Terri Gambetti, friend and former co-worker, nominated Tom. She wrote in her nomination that Tom “cares deeply for his community and is consistently doing what he can to make the world around him a better place.” Ms Gambetti wrote that Tom “is a friend, supporter and steward to every group, organization, business, committee and family in our community.” She stated that Tom is always behind the scenes, but he’s the guy who makes it happen. Tom arrived in Pekin over 40 years ago to complete an internship in Parks and Recreation at the Pekin Park District and retired in 2017 as the Superintendent of Recreation. During his tenure he was responsible for development of many parks that continue to be a positive asset in Pekin. He was the major driving force behind many public improvement projects, including: Pekin Park Trail, Pekin Skate Park, Soldwedel Program Center, Happy...

The Pekin Marigold Festival proudly welcomes 2019 Guests, The USA Patriots Amputee Softball Team. The 2019 Marigold Festival theme is “Celebrating Marigold Heroes” and will applaud the impact made by our local and personal heroes. Founded in 2011, The USA Patriots Softball Team is a 501(c)(3) public charity and represents some of our nation’s bravest and most determined heroes, soldiers and veterans. The team is comprised of competitive, athletic veterans who have lost limbs in combat and non-combat related injuries, and through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes again, playing against able- bodied teams in competitive and exhibition softball games, bringing a unique brand of softball, courage, and inspiration to communities nationwide. Their armor now includes prosthetic legs and arms, along with extreme perseverance and attitude. These individuals continue to push the limits of modern prosthetics to inspire, motivate and offer a place for camaraderie a...