Viking Travel owners named Marklund s 2021 Friend of the Year Peg and John Haskins of Lombard were recently named Marklund s Friend of the Year. The couple are owners of Viking Travel Services in Westmont and Naperville. Courtesy of Marklund
Updated 2/26/2021 6:59 PM
Peg and John Haskins, owners of Viking Travel Service in Westmont and Naperville, are Marklund s 2021 Friend of the Year.
Marklund, a west suburban nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with profound developmental disabilities, honored the couple at its recent Top Hat Ball virtual fundraising event.
The Haskins, who reside in Lombard, initially connected with Marklund in 1997 when they supported the first Top Hat Ball with a cruise donation.
Updated 2/24/2021 7:47 PM
When Interra Capital Group bought a single-story office building in Arlington Heights in 2015, the new owners decided to keep the building s oldest fixture. Phil came with the building, said human relations manager Karma Shipman, her voice bubbly with excitement about Wednesday s surprise 90th birthday party in the building for longtime building engineer Phil Pecoraro. Everybody loves him. He s a gem we have.
As he has for the past 28 years, Pecoraro, who drives from his home in Elk Grove Village, showed up early on his birthday for his shift at 2101 S. Arlington Heights Road. Phil has been here through every owner. He knows everything about this building, said attorney Ronald F. Wittmeyer Jr., who has an office in the building. Whether it s part of his job or not, he ll do it.
Updated 2/20/2021 8:37 AM
Nathan Georg and Jensen Stahr are classmates at Rolling Meadows High School, but they also combine on an important side hustle: shoveling driveways for senior citizens who live near their Arlington Heights homes. I enjoy shoveling. I find it kind of therapeutic, Nathan says, especially when I can do it with friends. And it s nice to help out the community.
Nathan and Jensen signed up for the student snow shoveling referral program coordinated by the Arlington Heights Senior Center. Manager Tracey Colagrossi says the program is in its fourth year and this year has drawn the most students ever. Still, it s not enough.
Schools, others to honor Iwo Jima veteran s last request to raise the flag on Tuesday Woody Hughes, a Marine who was witness to the historic flag-raising at Iwo Jima, asked schoolchildren and citizens to raise flags next Tuesday, on the 76th anniversary of the iconic event. Courtesy of Rich Witt Elwood Woody Hughes served in the Marines from 1943 to 1946, during which time he witnessed the historic flag-raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Courtesy of Rich Witt Elwood Woody Hughes, a former Maine West High School teacher and coach and Iwo Jima veteran, died Feb. 2 at the age of 95. Courtesy of Mike Huttner
Big Hearts of Fox Valley helping to provide winter coats to local children Big Hearts of Fox Valley recently held a coat drive to to collect new adult sized coats for older kids. Courtesy of Jennifer Mobley
Big Hearts of Fox Valley has grown way beyond their wildest dreams.
It all started when the Mobley family (Minor, Jennifer, Ethan, and Nicole) first brainstormed ways to reach local families during the holiday season.
They knew firsthand that not all families had the ability to buy presents for their children and they wanted to find a way to help.
Seven years later, with help from their board of directors, executive committee, St. Charles Unit District 303 staff, and a generous, supportive community filled with such big hearts, they now reach hundreds of families living within St. Charles and portions of Wayne, Wasco, Elburn, West Chicago, South Elgin, Campton Hills, and unincorporated Kane County.