Dear Members:

Elmhurst firefighters are working to raise $150K to memorialize 9/11 in a new piece of public sculpture designed by Jason Peot featuring a piece of rail recovered from below the Twin Towers in downtown New York for display near Fire Station No. 2 on South York Street.

Click HERE for more information and/or to donate by check or online by credit card.

The ECCI Centennial Celebration NFP Board of Directors at its July 13 meeting approved a $1K donation from the Second Century Fund and yours truly contributed a matching gift of $1K.

Active Shooter Preparedness Training
Click HERE to watch video of the Elmhurst Police Department’s June 27 Active Shooter Preparedness Training in the Oak Room at Elmhurst Hospital for more than 50 Elmhurst businesspeople, as organized by ECCI in co-sponsorship with North Shore-Edward-Elmhurst Health and Superior Air-Ground Ambulance.

For me, the most striking fact is that the majority of active shooter incidents are concluded before law enforcement can respond, so it is imperative that employees take their own action.

31st Annual New Teachers Luncheon
ECCI will stage its 31st Annual New Teachers Luncheon in the Commons at York Community High School (355 West St. Charles Road) on Tuesday, August 8 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, in conjunction with Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205’s New Teacher Orientation. Ticket cost is $20 per person, plus $20 to sponsor a new teacher. Click HERE to register.

Member donations to the New Teacher Goodie Bags must be delivered to our Chamber’s office by August 5 at 1 p.m., with donors providing 75 of each item submitted.

Multi-Chamber Hunger Action Luncheon
Supported by ECCI member Itasca Bank & Trust, our Chamber will stage a Multi-Chamber Hunger Action Luncheon—featuring Keynote Speaker Steve Dolinsky, an American television, radio, print and podcast food and travel reporter, and “The Food Guy” on NBC-TV Channel 5 in Chicago—at The Abbington in Glen Ellyn on Tuesday, August 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to promote food pantries across the western suburbs. Click HERE to register.

A portion of each ticket will be donated by the participating chamber to food pantries serving their municipalities, with the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry benefiting from ECCI attendees.

Joining Presenting Sponsor Itasca Bank are Partnering Sponsors Edward-Elmhurst Health and Duly Health and Care, both ECCI members, and the DuPage Foundation.

‘Networking on the 9s’
“Networking on the 9s,” our Chamber’s 75th Annual Golf Outing, will be staged at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park for Friday, September 22, with a maximum field of 72 golfers teeing off in a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Members of Villa Park Chamber of Commerce also will participate. Click HERE to register as a golfer, sponsor and/or luncheon guest.

Buck-A-Duck Raffle
The split-the-pot amount for the Buck-A-Duck Raffle is growing by some $100 at each of our Chamber’s monthly networking events, with event winners qualifying for the final drawing in December at the Annual Holiday Business After Hours hosted by Community Bank of Elmhurst.

Qualifiers include ECCI Board of Directors Treasurer Ralph Pechanio, Andrea Pokrefke and John Czyzycki of Elmhurst Bank, Mary Grether of the Elmhurst Symphony Association, Dr. Nicholas Bournazos (twice) of Be Well Chiropractic Clinic, James Rogers of Phase Three Brewing Taproom + Kitchen, Catalina Galvani of the Elmhurst Park District and Past ECCI Board Chair Eva Sanchez of See Your Property Right Here @properties Elmhurst.

Happy Anniversary
One member celebrated Chamber anniversaries in July as follows: 45 years—Elmhurst Artists’ Guild.

New Members
Our Chamber welcomed four new members in July: Adobe, Megan McNamara – Freelance Writer & Editor, Phase Three Brewing Co. Taproom + Kitchen and Trella Auto Tech.

Dropped Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following two members in July: Mario Caruso – All-State and Sunbelt Rentals.