About a year ago, a small group of Westchester residents with a common goal of enhancing their community started having coffee together at dawn every Saturday.
Now that group, the Westchester Community Image Council, is 100 members strong with a long list of village improvements.
The council has landscaped the median at Mannheim and Balmoral Roads, enhanced gardens at the Westchester Public Library and Westchester Post Office, and works with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s Keeper Corps program to create native Illinois perennial gardens at three entrances to the Salt Creek Trail.
“We are really proud of our community. It was looking tired and neglected,” said Jim Lange, council president and executive director.
Because Westchester does not really have a downtown, the group hopes to revitalize the village’s economic base and attract businesses through beautification projects, Lange said.
“A lot of people have been here all their lives, and our goal is to see it cleaned up. We want a good quality of life,” Lange said.
The organization’s first fundraising event, held last weekend at Broadview Bowl, raised approximately $6,000. All of the proceeds will go to community improvement projects, Lange said.
Volunteers are always needed to work on cleanup crews, move mulch and help with plantings, along with other projects. Donations from individuals and corporations are tax-deductible.
For more information, visit www.westchestercic.org.
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Fundraisers
Pillars, a non-profit social service organization, will hold a “Putting on the Glitz” fundraiser Jan. 27 in Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets are $150 each and include dinner, music, dancing, casino-style gambling and silent and live auctions. Tickets can be purchased by calling 708-749-6767, ext. 3058. For more information, visit www.pillarscommunity.org.
The Fox Valley Metro Disc Golf Club and the Fox Valley Park District are co-sponsoring the 2007 “Jericho Lake Ice Bowl” at 8 a.m. Jan. 27 at Jericho Lake Disc Golf Park on Jericho Road, west of Orchard Road in Montgomery. Proceeds from the event will go to the Hesed House food pantry and shelter in Aurora. The entry fee for all divisions, which includes lunch, is $20 plus two canned goods. There is an extra $5 fee if no canned goods are donated. Divisions are Pro, Advanced, Intermediate and Rec. For more information, call 630-857-0516 or visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.
The auxiliary of the Elmhurst Symphony Association will hold a fundraiser from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in Cafe Amano, York Street and Park Avenue in Elmhurst. The event, “Life is a Cabaret,” will feature live entertainment by cabaret singer Claudia Hommel. The cost is $75 per person and includes wine and hors d’oeuvres. For reservations, call 630-941-0202.
Volunteers
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will hold a volunteer open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, 3609 Spring Rd., Oak Brook. District volunteers will share their experiences of working in education centers, restoring critical habitats and helping visitors. All ages and groups are welcome. For more information, call 630-933-7681.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of La Grange Park need volunteers for their adult literacy program, School on Wheels. Tutors are needed to teach one hour per week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 to 8 p.m. in Cicero, Hodgkins, Lombard, Summit, Westmont and Woodridge. Training will be provided from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on two consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 3 and 10. Volunteers must attend both training sessions. No prior second-language skills are needed. For more information, call 708-354-9200, ext. 5060, 5085 or 5037.
Heartland Blood Centers will hold a blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park. All donors will receive a “Warm a Heart” coffee mug with three gourmet blends of coffee. A photo ID is required. To make an appointment, call Debby Preiser at 708-697-6915.
Those making a difference
The Village of Lombard recently held a blood drive that yielded 131 pints of blood.
Waubonsee Community College’s Adult Literacy Project named Laurie Ann Curtain of Oswego its Volunteer of the Month for January.
Marklund, a non-profit network of services based in Geneva, received a $5,000 grant from the Chicago Tribune Charities fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. The money will be used to support its early intervention program. — Nancy Munson
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nmunson@tribune.com
