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mokenamessenger.com news
the Mokena Messenger | December 13, 2018 | 7
Contests
Just one week left to enter 2018 Holiday Card Contest
The deadline for
submissions is 5
p.m. on Thursday,
Dec. 20
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
You know that scene in
“Home Alone” in which
the family wakes up late,
and everyone is scrambling
to such degree to get to the
airport on time for their
flight that they forget their
own child? (You know, basically
the whole setup?)
Well, many of you are basically
living that scene right
now.
Christmas and Kwanzaa
are but weeks away.
Hanukkah is already over.
Those who celebrate Eastern
Orthodox Christmas
have almost a month, but
the clock is ticking for
them, too.
You’re scrambling to buy
last-minute gifts. You’re
cleaning the house. You’re
trying to figure out what you
can bring to the party. And
you still have work, children,
chores — no shortage
of obligations. You’re bound
to forget something.
You’re on your own with
your children (seriously,
please don’t forget them),
but thankfully you have us
here to remind you about the
2018 Holiday Card Contest.
As a recap, the contest
asks you to send us your best
homemade Christmas cards,
the best or funniest year-end
letters, children’s sketches
of reindeer, photos of your
winter bowling league team
getting in the spirit, crafty
Kwanzaa greetings or Hanukkah
Hallmarks — basically,
whatever it is you send
to your loved ones to make
sure they get something in
the mail around the holidays
other than busted-up Amazon
packages, letters that were
The Prizes
A look at what readers can win in this
year’s Holiday Card Contest
Best in Show
• A $25 gift certificate for Rubi Agave,
12622 W. 159th St., Homer Glen
• Four play passes, each good for free
admission to the KidsWork Children’s
Museum, 11 S. White Street, Frankfort
• Three $5 gift certificates for Sizzles,
110 MacGregor Road in Lockport
• Two gift certificates, each good
for a free two-week individual trial
membership for one adult, 18 and older,
at The Oaks Recreation & Fitness Center,
10847 W. La Porte Road in Mokena
clearly dropped in the snow
somewhere along the way
and your favorite newspaper,
The Mokena Messenger.
Whatever it is you do for
the people you love during
the holidays (just the PG-
13 stuff, please), simply address
these things to Managing
Editor Bill Jones, and
mail them to 11516 W. 183rd
St. Unit SW Office Condo
3, Orland Park, IL, 60467.
Make sure the items somewhere
include a name and a
phone number at which we
can reach you, should you
happen to win the contest,
Funniest
• Two hours of free bowling for up to six
people, including shoe rentals, along
with a pizza and pitcher full of pop, at
Laraway Lanes, 1009 W. Laraway Road
in New Lenox
• A $25 gift card to Gizmos Fun Factory,
66 Orland Square Drive, Suite D, in
Orland Park
• Four passes, each good for a free
value basket at Culver’s, 18248 Sayre
Ave. in Tinley Park
• Four passes, each good for one free
open gym entry at The Oaks Recreation
& Fitness Center, 10847 W. La Porte
Road in Mokena
as well as your town of residence.
We will accept submissions
through 5 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 20. They must be
received (not postmarked)
by that day, so make sure to
give yourself enough time
for holiday mail service.
The entries will be evaluated
by our editorial staff
and judged in two categories:
Best in Show and Funniest,
so tell us in which
category you’d like to be
considered. We will pick one
winner in each of the categories
from across all seven of
the towns covered by 22nd
Century Media’s Southwest
office: Orland Park, Tinley
Park, Frankfort, Mokena,
New Lenox, Lockport and
Homer Glen.
In addition to awarding
prizes (in the accompanying
sidebar), we plan to publish
images or transcripts of our
winners in print, along with
a few of our other favorites.
We do have three rules.
• We are allowing only
one entry per household for
this contest.
• The entry must be from
this holiday season.
• Electronic entries are accepted.
They can be sent to
bill@opprairie.com.
Santa’s helpers make Mokena Miracles’ second year success
More than 100
volunteers show up
for wrapping day
T.J. Kremer III, Editor
Many hands make light
work. More than 200 hands,
well, that makes for lighting
fast work.
Scores of local residents
turned out to the UA Local
597 Pipefitter’s Training
Center Sunday, Dec. 9, to
help wrap presents that were
bound for three Mokena
families thanks to the efforts
of the Mokena Miracles, a
community-based nonprofit
group whose mission is to
make sure the holidays are
bright for Mokena families
suffering hardships.
Led by its board President,
Mokena police officer Tom
Czarnecki, and its Treasurer,
Mokena resident Samantha
Cooper, the volunteers
were split in to three groups,
given wrapping paper and
a whole bunch of presents,
while being treated to coffee,
doughnuts and cookies.
Holiday music played over a
stereo as all the helpers got
busy making the holidays
bright for their fellow community
members.
Now in its second year,
Mokena Miracles has grown
exponentially from its inaugural
year, expanding both
the number of families receiving
gifts and the location
of the wrapping party, which
was held last year at Mokena
Fire Protection District Station
No. 1.
“Huge increase,” Cooper
said. “Last year, we had
one family and maybe 20,
25 volunteers on wrapping
day.”
“So, we’re seeing almost a
five times increase, I would
say,” Czarnecki added.
Mayor Frank Fleischer
stopped by join in the effort,
as well, and offered some
words of thanks for everyone
involved.
“Things like this are what
make Mokena special: giving
up your Sunday morning
to come out here and
help other people,” Fleischer
said. “What’s great about
this program is all the proceeds
go right back into the
community and help many
of the people we probably
see out there and we don’t
even know that they’re receiving
this.
“So, thank you very much
for your time and effort into
this.”
RIGHT: Santa Claus makes
a special appearance during
Mokena Miracles’ wrapping
day Sunday, Dec. 9, at
UA Local 597 Pipefitter’s
Training Center. More than
100 volunteers showed up
to help wrap gifts for three
Mokena families who were
nominated by community
members. T.J. Kremer III/22nd
Century Media