Pekin Lions give Christmas food baskets to individuals or families in need who have been nominated. To nominate someone, the form, such as this one, can be found on the Lions’ Facebook page and its website, pekinlions.org. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 30.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Bradley students touch hearts with soles

Bradley University students wanted to collect 378 pairs of shoes, one pair for every person who identified as homeless in the greater Peoria area last year. On Nov. 11, they nearly tripled their goal by collecting 1,042 pairs, thanks to their Walk in My Shoes Peoria campaign. The local campaign was a partnership between Running Central, a sporting goods store, and Dream Center Peoria, a nonprofit group that helps the homeless.

Running Central hosted an event celebrating the Walk in My Shoes campaign.

“Homelessness is all around us. It can affect someone you know – your sister, cousin or friend. It’s not just set to one group,” said Kristy Schofield, director of homeless and housing at Dream Center Peoria. “Shoes are the number one item that is needed in the Hope Store at Dream Center. These donations will have a tremendous impact.”

Attendees enjoyed entertainment by Project 309, a youth development group sponsored by Dream Center Peoria. Brian Uhlenhopp, director of development at Dream Center Peoria, and Schofield also spoke at the event.

“The need is great; 378 people are homeless every night here in Peoria. We don’t think about that side of the city but it’s there,” said Uhlenhopp. “You can make a difference. You can be a part of it. Four people collected over 1,000 shoes. You guys solved the problem for us this year.”

More than 15 local businesses contributed to this campaign and event by donating gift cards and baskets to include in a raffle.

“The community should be very proud of these students and what they accomplished,” said Adam White, co-owner of Running Central/ShaZam Racing. “Their work will touch the hearts and souls of over 1,000 lives in Greater Peoria.”

Santa Claus parade kicks off Nov. 24

Peoria’s annual Santa Claus Parade, billed as the longest running holiday parade in the country, (the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is only 93 years old) will go through downtown Peoria Nov. 24, ushering in the start of the Christmas season to central Illinois for the 130th time.

More than 75 costumed characters, horses, decorated floats, marching bands and Santa will participate in the parade that will kick off at 10:15 a.m.

This year’s parade theme is That Magical Christmas Feeling, and floats will be competing for awards based on that theme. Awards include best overall float, best novelty entry, best new entry, best nonprofit entry, best commercial entry and best religious entry.

The parade’s grand marshal will be Brig. Gen. William P. “Robbie” Robertson, who was the commander of the 182nd Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard for the past 13 years. Robertson is a Peoria native who attended Peoria High School, Illinois Central College and Bradley University and is now the chief of staff for the Illinois Air National Guard.

The route for the parade will follow last year’s, starting at the Peoria Fire Department’s Central firehouse on Monroe and Bryan streets and ending at the Peoria County Courthouse.

PEKIN

Lions need help with Christmas Basket Drive

Members of the Lions Club of Pekin are working to meet their goal of 300 baskets for the club’s annual Christmas Basket Drive. These baskets provide low-income families with a box of perishable and a box of non-perishable food. The club needs to raise approximately $17,000 to buy items to fill the baskets.

Pekin Lions have been filling and distributing Christmas food baskets since 1947. They are given to individuals or families in need who have been nominated. To nominate someone, fill out nomination forms that can be found on the Lions’ Facebook page and its website, pekinlions.org. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 30. Typically, the Lions Club receives more nominations for families than they can help.

The baskets will be distributed from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 16 at Pekin Community High School’s Holman Technology Education Center. 

Filling the baskets is labor intensive. ValuCheck employees donate time to package the non-perishable items, and the Lions Club needs volunteers to help the day of distribution – constructing boxes, unloading trucks and boxing food.

Monetary donations are welcome. Send checks payable to the Pekin Lions Club to Pekin Lions Club Christmas Basket Project, P.O. Box 751, Pekin.

–Tazewell County News Briefs–