Hadley Celebrates Years - The Hadley School for the Blind
Hadley Celebrates Years - The Hadley School for the Blind
Hadley Celebrates Years - The Hadley School for the Blind
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Donor Spotlight<br />
Charlie Beinlich’s:<br />
Serving up a generous portion of support<br />
W<br />
hen Charlie Beinlich’s Food and Tap opened <strong>for</strong><br />
business in Northbrook, Ill., in October 1950, it was<br />
all about <strong>the</strong> bar. Construction crews building <strong>the</strong><br />
Edens Expressway would stop by as early as 8 a.m., and<br />
<strong>the</strong> locals found a new neighborhood spot to ga<strong>the</strong>r <strong>for</strong> drinks<br />
with friends. A short-order cook in <strong>the</strong> Army during World War<br />
II, Charlie soon realized he should be offering some food with<br />
that beer. Six years later, he was serving up 60 cent hamburgers<br />
and 50 cent chili made by his wife, Eleanor, each morning (<strong>the</strong>y<br />
use that same recipe today).<br />
Charlie’s granddaughter, Linda<br />
Rainey, who now owns <strong>the</strong> business<br />
with her husband, Tom, says Charlie<br />
feared two things in life: snakes, and<br />
losing his sight. And so, in September<br />
1954, <strong>the</strong> first “<strong>Hadley</strong> House”<br />
appeared on <strong>the</strong> bar.<br />
Bright red and green, with a side<br />
slit <strong>for</strong> change, <strong>the</strong> hard-to-miss<br />
houses have been a fixture in <strong>the</strong><br />
tavern <strong>for</strong> 56 years. According to<br />
Linda and Tom, when <strong>the</strong> bar first<br />
opened, <strong>the</strong> “language” in <strong>the</strong> place<br />
was so bad that Charlie insisted<br />
anyone who swore had to put some<br />
change in <strong>the</strong> “blind box.” He would<br />
<strong>the</strong>n match <strong>the</strong> amount from <strong>the</strong> register. Over <strong>the</strong> years, any<br />
change dropped onto <strong>the</strong> floor was promptly added to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong><br />
House as well. Sometimes small bets lost over football games<br />
would end up in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong> House, too. Linda remembers her<br />
grandfa<strong>the</strong>r letting her keep any coins she found while helping<br />
her grandparents clean <strong>the</strong> bar on weekends. As she got older, she<br />
would add some of her findings to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong> House, realizing<br />
<strong>the</strong> importance of giving back to her community.<br />
Over <strong>the</strong> years, <strong>the</strong> houses have seen some wear and tear, so <strong>the</strong><br />
family has patched <strong>the</strong>m with glue, colored in paint chips and<br />
even taped on lettering that was falling off in an attempt to keep<br />
<strong>the</strong> original boxes intact. Linda says <strong>the</strong>y’re a staple in <strong>the</strong> tavern’s<br />
history and “as much a part of <strong>the</strong> place as <strong>the</strong> knotty pine walls.”<br />
Designed by <strong>for</strong>mer <strong>Hadley</strong> director Dorrance Nygaard,<br />
<strong>the</strong> wooden <strong>Hadley</strong> House was actually<br />
conceived by Robert Lechner, who served<br />
as <strong>the</strong> president of Zengeler Cleaners <strong>for</strong><br />
many years. A longtime Winnetka resident<br />
and past president of both <strong>the</strong> Winnetka<br />
Chamber of Commerce and Winnetka<br />
Lions Club, Lechner convinced area<br />
businesses such as Beinlich’s to showcase<br />
<strong>the</strong>m. He also promoted <strong>the</strong> idea within<br />
<strong>Hadley</strong> Woman’s Board member Helen Hall, frequent visitor<br />
to Charlie Beinlich’s Food and Tap, makes a donation<br />
to <strong>the</strong> school while Tom Rainey looks on.<br />
<strong>the</strong> Lions organization, which subsequently<br />
featured life-size versions of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong><br />
House in <strong>the</strong>ir “Candy Day” parades.<br />
Today, only <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong> Houses at<br />
Beinlich’s remain. Tom says that around <strong>the</strong><br />
holidays, <strong>the</strong>y get especially full. He sends<br />
<strong>Hadley</strong> a check every few months. And lest<br />
you think small donations don’t add up,<br />
Beinlich’s customers and staff have donated<br />
nearly $22,000 to <strong>Hadley</strong> since <strong>the</strong> tavern<br />
opened. So, next time you’re at Beinlich’s,<br />
tell ’em William <strong>Hadley</strong> sent you, have<br />
yourself a burger and fries and give <strong>the</strong>m a<br />
big helping of thanks from us. <br />
If you have any in<strong>for</strong>mation about <strong>the</strong> <strong>Hadley</strong> Houses, please call <strong>Hadley</strong>’s Communications Dept.: 847-784-2774.<br />
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