LF_040518

8 | April 5, 2018 | The lake forest leader NEWS
LakeForestLeader.com
Lake Bluff-Lake Forest Kiwanis Club celebrates 95 years
Submitted by Lake Bluff-
Lake Forest Kiwanis Club
The Lake Bluff-Lake
Forest Kiwanis Club was
founded 95 years ago on
March 15, 1923, eight
years following the inauguration
of Kiwanis in
Detroit. By 1923, the organization
already had 839
clubs in the U.S. and Canada
and 53 in Illinois. In
1919, Kiwanis established
a service-oriented mission
and today’s motto, “Serving
the Children of the
World” is relevant in the
more than 80 nations and
geographic areas in which
it exists.
The Lake Bluff–Lake
Forest Club has been following
that mission ever
since then – but on a much
smaller geography. Today
the club has 23 members
– including seven women,
something which was not
permitted before 1987.
Each club can set its own
objectives and Lake Bluff-
Lake Forest has focused
much of it’s attention on
Cherie Hrusovsky (left to right), of GLASA, Julia Tanna,
David Lee and Maureen Biedermann, all of Kiwanis and
Tom Daly, of GLASA, pose for a photo after the Kiwanis
Club donated $10,000 to GLASA for adaptive-support
purchases. Photo Submitted
supporting other worthy
local charitable non-profits
whose goals match those
of the club – supporting
the needs of children in our
community. Right now,
approximately 15 organizations
in the Lake Bluff,
Lake Forest, North Chicago
and Lake County receive
annual contributions
from the Club such as
Reading Power, Mother’s
Trust Foundation, CROYA,
Zacharias, and the Boys
and Girls Club.
Historically, the funds
provided have been obtained
mainly through the
Pancake Breakfasts done
three times a year – once
at the Lake Bluff & Lake
Forest Fourth of July Parade
and twice at Breakfast
with Santa event at Grace
United Methodist Church
in Lake Bluff and the First
Presbyterian Church in
Lake Forest. The Fourth
of July Pancake Breakfast
is in its 47th year and
now includes a Cookout
and activities following
the parade. Ted Anderson
of the James Anderson
Company (opened in
Lake Forest in 1891 and
now in Lake Bluff), who
was Club president in
1961, said that before the
Pancake Breakfasts were
started, the club had very
little funding to provide to
needy local organizations.
Ted Anderson’s son, James
Anderson, a member since
1995, said that the income
from the Breakfasts made
a big difference and it was
the teamwork of the members
that made it successful
– and 100 percent of
the food and supplies for
the breakfasts are donated
by local retailers.
In the past year, the Club
has also been focusing on
distinct projects. Last fall,
backpacks with books inside
were provided to 125
kindergartners in the North
Chicago School District
187 – and this will be an
annual event. Funding for
four SMART Boards was
given to the Lake Bluff
Preschool.
Financing was provided
to the Lake Bluff Middle
School for a handicapped
ramp and chairs and instruments
for the band
program. And, just this
month, funds were given
to GLASA to purchase
an adaptive track and allcourt
chairs for sports activities
for handicapped
children at Lake Forest
High School.
All this gets accomplished
through the efforts
of the Club’s 23 members
– some of whom have a
long history with Kiwanis
as well as with the local
community.
Pete Porett, former owner
of Lake Bluff Hardware,
has been a member for
45 years and was instrumental
in bringing in John
Harvey, former owner of
Harvey Furniture – also a
long-time member. Their
recollections over the years
focus on the “team spirit”
of members getting together
to put on events such as
the Fourth of July Pancake
Breakfast – bringing in
funds to then disburse to
needy organizations in the
community. Almost all of
the current members have
roots in Lake Bluff and
Lake Forest and this makes
the club more like a family
according to Porett. David
Lee, the current Club and
Foundation President and
a member for 21 years, is
proud of how the club has
grown in membership in
just the past five years –
all volunteers devoted to a
worthy cause.
Kiwanis members will
be collecting contributions
at the corners of Route
176 and Green Bay Road
as part of Candy Days.
Those donations, for 95
years, have gone to helping
needy children in surrounding
communities.
For additional information,
visit www.KiwanisL-
BLF.org.
Citadel Theatre education program helps develop acting skills in children
Submitted by Citadel
Theatre
For the past 15 years,
Citadel Theatre has
brought great theater to
the northern suburbs. In
addition, Citadel also offers
a K-12 theater education
program that provides
a safe, nurturing
environment for children
to not only explore the
ins and outs of the performing
arts, but also
develop lifelong skills of
self-confidence and teamwork
while fostering lasting
friendships with other
children in their community.
Sometimes, even
providing the spark and
skills necessary for these
young thespians to go on
to pursue professional acting
opportunities.
Take for example, Luke
and Emiko Chichester,
who have gone from Citadel
acting classes back in
the Fall of 2016 to performing
on Citadel’s professional
mainstage (in the
world premiere musical,
“Scrooge and the Ghostly
Spirits”), to now pursuing
other acting gigs throughout
the Chicagoland area.
“From the first class at
Citadel, it was fun,” Luke
Chichester said.
“Through each class I
became better and better
until I was good enough to
be in a professional play,”
Emiko Chichester said. “It
also helped me with self
confidence such as making
more friends at school.
And, I wasn’t scared to
make presentations at
school.”
Before getting involved
in Citadel’s Education program,
both children had
little acting experience
and only appeared in a few
small roles at school.
“The classes grew my
passion for acting,” Emiko
Chichester said.
Their mother, Sharon,
was pleased by their experience.
“The Citadel Education
Program nurtured Luke
and Emiko’s love for being
on stage,” Sharon
Chichester said. “The experience
with Scrooge really
reinforced their passion
for theater.”
After taking a few Citadel
Theatre acting classes
and having appeared in
Citadel’s professional production
of Scrooge, both
Luke and Emiko Chichester
will be trying out for
Fremont Theatre’s “Mary
Poppins” in June. And according
to their mother
all of this confidence and
passion for theater started
with that first class they
took at Citadel less than 2
years ago.
If you know someone
who would like to experience
the joy of theatre, Citadel
Theater is currently
enrolling for its two summer
camps: “Peter Pan”
for first through fourthgraders
and “Mary Poppins”
fifth-graders through
sophomores.
The camps will be held
at the kid-friendly confines
of CROYA at the Lake
Forest Recreation Center.
Camps run 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monda-Friday June 11-
July 13. Camps emphasize
fun with lots of activities,
running around, dancing,
and singing.
Final performances of
“Peter Pan” and “Mary
Poppins” will appear on
Citadel Theatre’s mainstage
in Lake Forest where
the campers will perform
in front of adoring fans of
family and friends.
To register or for more
information, visit www.
citadeltheatre.org/summer-camp
or call (847)
735-8554 ext. 2.