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24 | November 7, 2019 | the frankfort station life & arts
frankfortstationdaily.com
Sold-out painting party benefits LWSRA programs
Kyle LaHucik, Freelance Reporter
Wine, painting and a good
time made for the perfect mixture
for a sold-out crowd Oct. 27
at Gina’s Teardrop Cafe in New
Lenox. Friends, families and athletes
gathered to paint inspirational
quotes on wooden boards
as a fundraiser for the Lincolnway
Special Recreation Association.
“I’d do anything to be with
these people,” Nicki Sweezer, a
basketball player on the LWS-
RA wheelchair team, said while
looking through the 30 or so
available quotes to use for her
board. She landed on “it’s all just
a bunch of hocus pocus.”
“I’m all about Halloween,”
Sweezer said. She dressed as a
sugar skull for Halloween season,
which is her favorite holiday.
Proceeds from the event will
go toward a scholarship program,
the association’s sports teams or
an adult day program, LWSRA
Executive Director Keith Wallace
said, adding that a specific
allocation hasn’t been decided
yet. Gina’s Teardrop Cafe donated
sandwiches and drinks for the
event and DIY Sign Party led the
painting activities.
“We love getting organizations
that do fundraising on our behalf,”
Wallace said, noting that it
lifts a weight off the shoulders of
LWSRA staff. “It brings people
together.”
Terrie Murphy, a co-director of
the New Lenox Relay For Life,
did a similar fundraiser for the
American Cancer Society recently
and wanted to do a similar
event in support of the LWSRA.
She teamed up with Gina’s Teardrop
Cafe owner Gina Buck,
whose son has participated in
LWSRA programs for nearly 25
years.
“Keith is a great guy,” Buck
said.
She said her son, who is 27,
has enjoyed his experiences with
the LWSRA, whether that’s going
on trips or engaging in the
Titans adult day program.
Buck’s mother, Mary Lungaro,
and friends Darlene Purler and
Pat Goes painted together.
“She’s got a good heart,” Goes,
who works at Gina’s Cafe, said
of Buck. She painted the phrase
“Scatter kindness” on her home
decor board.
Colleen Musselman, who’s
played basketball for 10 years —
the two most recent for the LWS-
RA team — decided to paint the
phrase “If the shoe fits,” because
it reminds her of Toy Story. Musselman
decided to attend the
event because “it’s fun to do with
my teammates,” she said.
Participants created everyday
designs to accent their homes
with phrases like “Beautifully
broken,” “Simply blessed,” “It is
well with my soul” and holidaythemed
ones, as well.
Most of the 60 attendees said
they had never taken part in a
painting party before. Melinda
Green, owner of the 6-year-old
wood sign painting workshop,
taught participants how to make
their boards: Chalk the back of
the paper with the quote, tape it
onto the board, trace the outline
and then apply brushstrokes of
any of the many dozens of acrylic
paint options.
Lauren Tidball and Jamie
Meyer hadn’t known about the
LWSRA before coming to the
event but were invited by their
aunt and were excited to paint,
they said.
Green said she was especially
interested in leading the workshop
for the LWSRA because she
worked for Lincoln-Way Area
Special Education District 843
for 10 years.
“This is the grass roots of what
I did,” Green said.
The groups were coming together
for a good cause for a
unique experience, she added.
RIGHT: A participant chooses
from 30 different inspirational
designs to paint on wooden
boards. About 60 people
attended the Lincolnway Special
Recreation Association’s
painting party fundraiser on Oct.
27 at Gina’s Teardrop Cafe in
New Lenox.
Keith Wallace (right) laughs along with fellow attendees as they
prepare to paint home decor boards. Wallace, who is executive
director of the LWSRA, said the event proceeds will go toward a
scholarship program, sports teams or the association’s adult day
program. Photos by kyle LaHucik/22nd Century Media
Colleen Musselman (middle) and her teammate Nicki Sweezer (bottom
left) get their boards ready for an afternoon of painting. The two
athletes play for the LWSRA wheelchair basketball team, whose first
tournament is Nov. 9.
faith
From Page 20
and dignity of women.
Cost is $35 and includes
refreshments. For more
information or to inquire
about the possibility of
evening workshops, call
(708) 334-1988 or email
familyhearthfrankfort@
gmail.com.
Book Club
10 a.m.-noon on the first
and third Thursdays, and
6-8 p.m. on the second
and fourth Tuesdays. The
Frankfort Literary Tea and
Scone Society Book Club
was inspired by the popular
“Guernsey Literary and
Potato Peel Pie Society”
book and movie. A presentation
of a classic will be
read out loud followed by
a lively discussion each
month. A $10 per month
donation includes refreshments
(book not included),
or $20 includes the book
cost.
St. Anthony Catholic Church (7659 Sauk
Trail, Frankfort)
Mass Service
4 p.m. Saturdays; 7:30
a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
and noon Sundays.
Reconciliation
3-3:50 p.m. Saturdays.
Knights of Columbus
Meetings
7:30 p.m. every second
and fourth Tuesday of the
month in St. Anthony Hall.
The Knights help at parish
functions such as the
church picnic and their annual
pancake breakfast.
To have your church’s events
included in Faith Briefs,
email them to Editor Nuria
Mathog at nuria@frankfortstation.com
or call (708)
326-9170 ext. 14. Deadline
is noon Thursdays one week
prior to publication.