The Starved Rock Foundation recognized Pam Grivetti for her 50 years of service to Starved Rock State Park and the foundation in a celebration at the Starved Rock Lodge on Saturday, April 11.

The recognition of half a century of dedication and passion for Starved Rock featured speakers, photos and memories from Grivetti’s time at the park and as the leader of the foundation.

“This is my happy place,” Grivetti said. “I wanted to do anything to make it your happy place as well.”

Grivetti served as the President of the Starved Rock Foundation for 35 years, but has been there since the beginning.

“Before we started, I don’t even know if I really knew what a foundation was,” she said. “We were just tired of having to send any money we got down to Springfield.”

Grivetti’s efforts have contributed to the foundation becoming an asset to Starved Rock. To date, the foundation has donated goods and services amounting to more than $500,000 to the park.

“Among the many things that I absolutely love about Starved Rock is that the 2.5 million visitors we get every year are truly people from every state in the USA and some far-away places that you just can not imagine,” she said.

Members had glowing things to say about Grivetti and her time at the foundation’s helm.

“We started working on this probably around December,” current Starved Rock Foundation president Matthew Klein said. “We wanted to make sure that we did something that reflects what Pam has meant to the park and all that the foundation has become.”

Foundation vice president Mike Toohey said that Grivetti held the glue together for the foundation for decades.

“It says a lot about Pam that she could get all of this together with volunteers and donations,” he said. “For the first 100-plus years of the park, none of this existed, and then because of Pam and the work she’s done, all of this happened in the last 50 years.”

Governor JB Pritzker also lauded Grivetti, sending a letter congratulating her for her years of service and dedication to the park.

“You have brought great fairness, thoughtfulness and wisdom to your work while advancing the mission of preserving and promoting Starved Rock State Park for future generations. You have represented the State of Illinois admirably,” Pritzker said in the letter.

Grivetti recently passed the baton to Matthew Klein, who became the new President of the Starved Rock Foundation on Jan. 15 of this year.

Grivetti said she is excited for what the future of the Starved Rock Foundation holds.

“That kiddo is going to take this foundation to places we never even thought of,” she said. “I want to thank him for where he’s going to take the Starved Rock Foundation for the next 35 years.”

Klein admitted that it’s a tall task to follow Grivetti.

“I’m honored and inspired,” he said. “Somebody earlier said that I’ve got big shoes to fill, and honestly, I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to do that.”

Grivetti isn’t leaving the Starved Rock scene. In addition to frequenting the park as a visitor and volunteer, she has been named in the Starved Rock Foundation to Chairman Emeritus.