Church choirs, singers sought for Community All Saints Concert
Church choirs and singers are being sought for a mass choir that will perform in a Community All Saints Concert to be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the First Congregational Church of Elgin, 265 E. Chicago St., Elgin.
First Congregational choir director Jeff Neufield will conduct open rehearsals from 7:15 to 8 p.m. every Thursday starting Sept. 5 for anyone not rehearsing with a church choir, a news release said.
Directed by Neufeld, the concert will feature organist and composer Marianne Kim, instrumentalists from the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and soloists Kathleen Monson and Antonio Quaranta. The concert is dedicated to the memory of late Elgin Youth Choir Director Matthew Bishop.
To sign up to sing or to contribute financially to the event, call the church office at 847-741-4045 or go to www.fcc-elgin.org/happenings/all-saints-concert.
Children’s Theatre of Elgin/Fox Valley Theatre Company honored
Children’s Theatre of Elgin/Fox Valley Theatre Company has received the Illinois Theatre Association’s 2024 Award of Excellence in Creative Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences.
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The award was presented Aug. 3 during the association’s annual gathering, which was held at Two Brothers’ Roundhouse in Aurora, according to the theater group’s website. Each year, the association recognizes individuals and organizations for their significant contributions promoting quality theater throughout Illinois.
For more information, go to cteelgin.com and www.illinoistheatre.org.
South Elgin donates old squad car to high school auto shop class
A decommissioned South Elgin Police Department squad car with a faulty engine has been donated to the South Elgin High School automotive department.
Students in the automotive tech program will use the 2017 Ford Police Interceptor as a learning tool, according to a post on the village of South Elgin’s Facebook page.
Automotive instructor Mark Conning said students can use the vehicle to learn everything from the basics to front-end alignments, brake jobs and diagnosing the cause of engine trouble.
The high school’s automotive program teaches students how to become certified mechanics so they can move directly into careers once they’ve graduated.
South Elgin unveils improvements to Thornwood Grove Park
A ribbon-cutting event was held Monday, Aug. 5, to celebrate the renovations made to Thornwood Grove Park, 350 Thornwood Way, in South Elgin.
The 3.94-acre park features biking and hiking trails, sports fields, a picnic area and a playground area, according to the village’s website.
Amenities include aew playground with unitarian surfacing, a resurfaced trail from the street to the Thornwood bike path, improved storm drainage, and new benches, bike racks and landscaping.
Old playground equipment was donated to Kids Around the World, a Rockford-based organization that provides playgrounds to impoverished communities.
The $475,000 cost was funded by money in the village’s Park Improvement Fund and the Special Rec Levy, officials said.
Episcopal church plans fundraiser at The Wine Exchange
St. Charles Episcopal Church will host a Feeding Ministries Fundraiser at The Wine Exchange at 1 Illinois St. in St Charles at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15.
The church helps feed those in need in the Fox Valley by assisting the Trinity Sandwich Board and Hesed House, holding a free spaghetti dinner for the last 15 years and most recently adding Lazarus House to its ministry, church officials said.
It’s currently serving more than 700 meals each month, officials said.
The fundraiser will include wine tastings and hors d’oeuvres, a raffle and silent auction, desserts and more, organizers said. Non-alcoholic beverages also will be served.
Tickets can be purchased on the websites of both The Wine Exchange and St. Charles Episcopal Church, according to event organizers.