Westmont, Illinois
Date Issued: July 3, 2019
At a recent Westmont Special Events meeting, the WSEC board approved dedicating the 2019 Taste of Westmont in honor of Jim Wright and Gregg Pill. Wright, who worked behind the scenes on the Taste of Westmont and all Westmont community events for more than 20 years, passed away in early May after a long illness, and Pill, who has been an active community volunteer for many years, as well as the restaurant reviewer for Taste of Westmont, passed away on June 20.
“This has been a very tough couple of months for Westmont,” said Mayor Ron Gunter. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jim and Gregg. They will be greatly missed.”
Wright and Pill have been previously honored by Westmont Special Events for their contributions to the community and their efforts to ensure the success of local special events. Each was a recipient of the WSEC’s annual “Making Memories Award”, which was later renamed the Jim Wright Making Memories Award.
“Westmont is a community that truly has incredible community events,” said Larry McIntyre, WSEC founder and current board member. “These events wouldn’t be possible without people who step forward and make a commitment to making them great. Jim and Gregg were both very important to our community. They worked tirelessly to make sure that the events in our community were a success.”
Wright worked with the Westmont Public Works Department to make sure that street closures, detours, and overall event safety was a priority. Jim was also instrumental with the publicity of local events and all things Westmont.
Pill was a driving force behind the success of events such as the Race to the Flag 5K as well as the very popular Westmont Restaurant Week. Prior to his passing, Gregg wrote his final Taste of Westmont preview article which was published recently in the Suburban Life.
They epitomized the essence of the WSEC Making Memories Award, which reads: “For their dedication to the success of special events and appreciation for providing opportunities that unite the people of our community.”
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