Dear Members:

Elmhurst’s Memorial Day began the same year (1918) that as our Centennial-celebrating Chamber and will conduct its 100th Anniversary march on Monday, May 28, stepping off from the intersection of York and Third streets in downtown Elmhurst at 9:30 a.m.

In recognition of York Community High School’s 100th Anniversary, the Marching Dukes band has been bestowed the honor of leading our Centennial Parade, while a pair of Beechcraft T-34s flown by members of the Lima Lima Flight Team will perform a variety of aerial maneuvers once our Parade steps off.

As an annual way to “Always Remember” our nation’s military men and women, this Parade is presented by the Elmhurst Chamber, Elmhurst American Legion T.H.B. Post 187 (which will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in September of 2019), Veterans of Foreign Wars Villa Park Post 2801, the City of Elmhurst and Elmhurst Park District.

Ralph P. Pechanio, Chairman of the Elmhurst Veterans Memorial Commission and a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst, and yours truly have enjoyed the honor of serving as Parade Committee Co-Chairs since 1997 and 2000, respectively.
Members of the Kiwanis Club will again serve as Parade Marshals.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Elmhurst resident Mark Mallon, a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve specializing in Psychological Operations and Bronze Star Medal recipient who served two tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan.

A one-hour Post-Parade Military Ceremony will staged at the Veterans Memorial in Wilder Park, starting at 11 a.m.  Adjacent will be the traditional display of four rows of white wooden crosses featuring nameplates of deceased Elmhurst veterans.

On display in Wilder Park over the Memorial Day weekend will be a waving sea of more than 1,600 U.S. flags honoring Vietnam War service members who were prisoners of war (POW) and missing in action (MIA), courtesy of True Patriots Care.

So while enjoying your Memorial Day weekend, also take some time to remember why America is the land of the free and the home of brave.

Capital Campaign
Our $250,000 Centennial Celebration Capital Campaign—featuring the $150,000 Ralph P. Pechanio Student Internship Fund at Elmhurst College and $100,000 Second Century Fund (including $50,000 for development a public Civic Hall of Fame Memorial)—has reached 75 percent of goal, with $188,083 in gifts and pledges.

The Pechanio Endowment Fund is at 89 percent of goal ($133,561), while the Second Century Fund is at 55 percent of goal ($54,522), which includes the $50,000 unrestricted fund at 87 percent ($43,350) and the Civic HOF fund at 21 percent ($10,300).
Recent donors to the Pechanio Endowment Fund include Sally Sotos of Sotos Building, while donors to the Second Century’s unrestricted fund included Stolper State Farm Insurance and Ex-Officio Director David Moyer, Superintendent for Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205.

Explore Elmhurst Trolley
Thanks to the 19 Elmhurst businesses, organizations and not-for-profits which purchased all 20 display advertising spaces in the 2018 Explore Elmhurst Trolley partnership between the City of Elmhurst and our Chamber in only four days, and to third-party contractor Castco Communications for producing the 9.5”-by-25” signs.

Connecting the Elmhurst City Centre, Spring Road and York and Vallette business districts, this year’s expanded trolley service will run for special events in May, the 16-week summer program from June through September, and then for six Saturdays in November and December starting with Small Business Saturday on November 24.

Advertisers include Chamber members Alpine Creek Dental, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Koenig Rubloff Realty, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Prairie Path REALTORS, Christopher Glass and Aluminum, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage (Eva and James Sanchez), Community Bank of Elmhurst, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst History Museum, Elmhurst Park District, Hauert Law Office, Lezza Spumoni & Desserts, NEXT Yoga, Slone Commercial, Spring Road Business Association, Total Window Treatments, York & Vallette Business Association and York Theatre – Classic Cinemas.

Happy Anniversaries
Six members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in May, as follows:  20 yearsElmhurst Neighbors & Newcomers Club; 10 yearsKopp Dental & Associates, Olympia Chiropractic & Physical Therapy and Science Olympiad; and 5 yearsDuPage Medical Group and Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry.

New Members
The Chamber welcomed 12 new members in April as follows:  Chrysalis Custom Hair, DAK Equipment & Engineering Company, DJUj Mobile Music Lights & EntertainmentDo It Together Workshops, Fitness Formula Clubs, Friends of Jim Caffrey, Inventory and Return Solutions, Stonehaven Mortgage – Kyle Ernst, Tamandare Travel, The Club Shot & Beer, Tints Unlimited and Unity Railway Supply Co. Inc./IRECO, LLC/Industry-Railway Supppliers, Inc.

Reactivated Members
Great American Exteriors reactivated as a member in April.

No Longer Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following six members in April:  CHOW Catering, Friends of Steve Morley, Kaplan Chiropractic Associates, Perl Mortgage, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, and Wells Fargo Bank.