Cress Creek Garden Club of Naperville is proud to be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025! With a membership of 113, the club hosts a popular fundraiser, “Make It, Bake It,” which is held every year in November, is involved with several community plantings, helps college-bound students with scholarships, donates to several local charitable organizations, and holds a yearly plant sale in May.
Cress Creek Garden Club was started by a few ladies who shared an interest in gardening in 1975. The mission and goals have remained the same for 50 years: community involvement, donation, friendship, and sharing of knowledge.
Community gardening and scholarships in 2025
Various members lead or assisted in the 2025 plantings of public gardens at DuPage Children’s Museum, Trinity House (a home for disabled adults), Veterans Park, Naperville’s VFW (at the base of the Blue Star Marker), Almost Home Kids and the Paw Paw garden beds at Naper Settlement, all funded by Cress Creek Garden Club.
In 2025, Cress Creek Garden Club awarded $24,500.00 in scholarships to students seeking higher education in fields related to horticulture, environmental, and landscape design. The club’s charitable contributions totaled $16,000.00 to support several local organizations aligned with their purpose.
“Hats Off to 50 Years of Giving” fundraiser
Much work is being accomplished for CCGC’s November fundraiser during the summer. This year’s theme is “Hats Off to 50 Years of Giving” and will be held on Friday, November 14, 2025. The annual fundraising event includes a silent auction, several raffles, bakery items, a shopping boutique, and a luncheon for all attendees. Last year, the club had a record attendance of 366 at the event!
CCGC is a member of the Garden Clubs of Illinois, Inc., based in Elmhurst. It’s through GCI that Cress Creek competes with other garden clubs in the state for awards. If successful, they also compete on a regional and national basis. This year, GCI awarded CCGC with their “Garden Club of the Year” award. This is based on winning several awards and qualifying to have awards submitted for national competition…which they also won!
The members of Cress Creek Garden Club continue to promote the club’s purpose to encourage beautification and improvement of Naperville and surrounding communities, stimulate gardening interests, develop horticulture knowledge, support conservation, provide scholarships for students, and support local charities.
Spotlight Guests: Cynthia Heibel, President, and Jane Morrison, Past President, Chair of 50th Anniversary Planning
