Latest news with #CrosstownClassicRunforaCause
Chicago Tribune
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Live music at Morton Arboretum, school supply drive, more
Morton Arboretum opens its doors this summer for Arbor Evenings from 5:15 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 20 at 4100 Rt. 53, Lisle. Attendees can listen to live music while relaxing outside on picturesque Frost Hill while lounging on blankets or chairs they bring to the event. Sealed nonalcoholic beverages and outside food are welcome. Cocktails, beer, wine, water and other beverages will be sold, and food trucks will be available. Tickets cost $15 for adults 13 and older, $5 for children 4 to 12 years old and free for children 3 and younger. Tickets or information are at or 630-968-0074. LaGrange Public Library staff and officials want to give a helping hand next month to families that need school supplies. To that end, a collection drive is planned until Aug. 3, with drop-off locations at the library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., LaGrange; First United Methodist Church of LaGrange, 100 W. Cossitt Ave., LaGrange; First Congregational Church of Western Springs, 1106 Chestnut Ave., Western Springs; First Congregational Church of LaGrange, 100 Sixth Ave., LaGrange. The items will be given out 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the LaGrange Park District Recreation Center, 536 East Ave., to anyone in LaGrange and the surrounding area who need them. Supplies include everything from backpacks and lunchboxes to pencils, highlighters, colored pencils, glue sticks, rulers, notebooks to USB flash drives, calculators, and disinfectant wipes and paper towels. A complete list is available at the library's website or by calling 708-215-3200. The seventh annual Strike a Chord benefit in memory of Hayden C. Miles takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 2 at Countryside Park, between 59th and 61st streets. Performers include Roswell, Spingo, Silver Dollar and J3 Experience. The concert is free, but donations will be accepted for Merit School of Music, which aims to remove barriers to high-quality music education to allow all children to experience how music can affect them. Hayden, a Lyons Township High School student, died in March 2018, and the first concert was held in August 2019. He participated in marching band, pep band, jazz band, pit orchestra and concert band, as well as Boy Scouts and archery. As always, money raised will go to a music-related charity. The cross-country team at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park will join the Crosstown Classic Run for a Cause, a student-led event that raises money for BEDS Plus, a nonprofit organization based in LaGrange that works to end homelessness in the southwest suburbs. The event stepped off at 3 p.m. July 26 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, continued along the lakefront path and finished at Rate Field. Runners planned to wear either a Chicago Cubs or a Chicago White Sox jersey, depending on which team brought in the most money before the race. This is the team's second year to join the run, inspired by then-junior Jackson Canellis who issued a summer challenge to the team last year, raising $10,000. 'I saw a way to turn something I love into real impact,' he said via a news release. 'This year we're scaling it up with a goal to help even more families and kids get back on their feet.' BEDS Plus, based at 9601 Ogden Ave., offers emergency shelter, meals, housing and case management to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Last year it served more than 5,000 individuals in 3,320 households. To donate, visit or call 708-354-0858. The Chi Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Triton College in River Grove was again recognized again as a five-star chapter and honored for Outstanding Chapter Advisor Team at the 2025 Illinois Regional Conference and Honors Institute of Phi Theta Kappa in Champaign. To be recognized as a five-star chapter means members must follow a Five State Chapter Plan that outlines essentials for creating a chapter organized into five 'stars' which are Lead, Network, Engage, Reach and Discover. Phi Theta Kappa supports high-achieving students through scholarships, professional development, and opportunities to invest in their community. Members of Triton's chapter must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5. Certificate-seeking students must have completed six college-level credit hours and degree-seeking students must have finished 12 before the current semester. The City of Darien continues its free summer concert series with Ocean's Rat Pack on July 31 and The Stingrays on Aug. 28. The concerts take place 6 to 9 p.m. at Westwood Park, 75th Street and Fairview Avenue. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Attendees should plan to bring a favorite lawn chair or blanket to sit on and canned goods to donate to the local food pantry. Call 630-852-5000. Students are invited to prepare for the upcoming ACT examinations by taking a practice exam from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St., Hinsdale. The library will proctor the practice test and provide results quickly. Register online at or call 630-986-1976.
Chicago Tribune
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Around the Southland: New fire truck in Oak Forest, Metra line work to cause delays, more
The Oak Forest Fire Department has a new weapon in its arsenal to fight fires: a new fire truck. The 2025 Pierce Ascendant 107-foot ladder truck replaces a 2001 Pierce truck that served the department for 20 years. A 'push-in' ceremony took place July 14 at Fire Station 2, 4907 W. 167th St., that included a blessing of the truck followed by the truck being pushed by hand into its bay in the firehouse. The ceremony dates back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus when horses could not back equipment into the firehouse. The crew would unhitch the horses, wash the equipment and push it into the apparatus bay. As part of the construction associated with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's $650 million expansion of the South Shore Line, the Metra Electric Line will operate on a Sunday schedule July 26 and 27, with buses replacing trains between Millennium Station and the 18th Street Station. In addition, the Van Buren Street and Museum Campus/11th Street stations will be closed. Shuttle buses will not be able to accommodate bicycles, and it's recommended travelers don't bring heavy luggage. Pace Paratransit vehicles will shuttle ADA customers and those who have difficulty using stairs via the McCormick Place busway between the Millennium and McCormick Place stations. Vehicles will not stop at the Van Buren Street, Museum Campus or 18th Street stations. Schedules are at The cross-country team at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park will join the Crosstown Classic Run for a Cause, a student-led event that raises money for BEDS Plus, a nonprofit organization that works to end homelessness in the southwest suburbs. The event steps off at 3 p.m. July 26 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, continues along the lakefront path and finishes at Rate Field. Runners will wear either a Chicago Cubs or a Chicago White Sox jersey, depending on which team brings in the most money before the race. This is the team's second year to join the run, inspired by then-junior Jackson Canellis who issued a summer challenge to the team last year, raising $10,000. 'I saw a way to turn something I love into real impact,' he said via a news release. 'This year we're scaling it up with a goal to help even more families and kids get back on their feet.' BEDS Plus, based at 9601 Ogden Ave. in La Grange, offers emergency shelter, meals, housing and case management to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Last year it served more than 5,000 individuals in 3,320 households. To donate, visit or call 708-354-0858. A nearly $47,000 grant to the Flossmoor Police Department from the 2025 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program, funded by federal highway safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation, will be put toward enhanced traffic safety enforcement efforts designed to reduce crashes and save lives. 'We are grateful for this grant, which allows us to increase our enforcement of impaired driving, seat belt, speeding and other traffic safety laws under the banners of Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Click It or Ticket, and Drive High, Get a DUI,' Flossmoor Police Chief Carl Estelle shared in a news release. Enforcement campaigns such as Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, will be emphasized to promote safer driving habits and raise awareness. Families are encouraged to participate in the Stagg Track and Field Summer Classic Track Meet, which has been rescheduled to the evening of July 31 at Stagg High School, 111th St., Palos Hills. Attendees can participate in a range of activities, such as a mile run for older participants, field events such as the high jump and long jump and a 25-meter dash for toddlers. Anyone 2 and older may join in. The event, which draws between 60 and 100 people, will raise money for the Lupus Foundation of America after the event founder's mother died from complications related to the disease. It's organized by Zach Spoor, chairman for social studies, foreign languages and art at Stagg. Advance registration is suggested at Registration that day is 4 to 5 p.m. with the first event at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for individuals and $30 for families. Clothing and food will be available. Jane Chan, a sophomore at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, advanced through multiple rounds of interviews during SkillsUSA's weeklong National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, competing in the Job Interview category. That category requires contestants to fill out an employment application, introduce themselves to a receptionist and participate in an in-depth interview. Chan, who competed against 39 other state champions from across the country, placed in the top eight nationally. Before earning a top spot at nationals, Chan won first place in Job Interview and second place in Customer Service and Extemporaneous Speaking while competing with 53 other students. It was her first year to participate in SkillsUSA. The Franciscan Health Foundation of South Suburban Chicago hosts Home Team Healthcare Hero Night on July 26 at The Windy City Thunderbolts' Ozinga Field, 14011 S. Kenton Ave. in Crestwood. The event benefits the Employee Wellbeing Fund, which helps employees overcome and manage burnout by providing opportunities for 'mental escapes encouraging mindfulness, creativity and relaxation,' a news release noted. Gates open at 4 p.m. and the first pitch is just after 6 p.m. and include live entertainment for Jimmy Buffet Night as well as fireworks after the game, split-the-pot raffle, 90-minute buffet, access to the Kids' Zone and a cash bar and private party decks. Tickets cost $30 and are available at The first 200 people to enter the ballpark that night with Home Team Healthcare Hero Night tickets get a swag bag.
