Pekin, IL  July 8, 2014 —  Can you survive in a world that wants to eat you?  If you think so, then test your metal at Pekin Park District’s “Zombie A-Park-Alypse, on Saturday, July 19, 2014 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.   Participants will meet at Soldwedel Program Center, just off Rte 98, adjacent to McNaughton Park.  Following a brief orientation all participants will venture into a designated area of McNaughton Park for the survival games.

Parents with children, teens, and adults of all ages will enjoy playing with Nerf guns in the woods!  Anyone can attend this event as a zombie or as a survivor.  Those who wish to be a zombie may dress appropriately if they wish to do so.  Survivors can bring any foam dart shooter of their choosing such as those made by Nerf or other manufacturers.

All participants must be pre-registered no later than one week prior to the Zombie event.  There is a limited number of survivor slots open but unlimited zombie slots.  Have fun and see if you will last.  The cost to participate is $10 per person, or $20 per family.  To register call: 309-347-PARK (7275).

The Soldwedel Program Center is located just off Route 98, adjacent to McNaughton Park and the Rockin’ “P” Riding Stables.

CENTRAL ILLINOIS— The Central Illinois Chapter is pleased to announce that the 4th Annual “Golf FORE the Red Cross” outing will be held at Metamora Fields Golf Club on Thursday, July 24, 2014.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to help people prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies. Our chapter serves 8 counties and more than 400,000 people by offering a wide array of assistance including:

• Services to military members and their families
• CPR, First Aid and AED training
• Traffic safety education
• Youth education classes
• Disaster assistance
• Disaster preparedness and planning

To continue these efforts we rely on donations from our friends and neighbors right here in central Illinois.

Individuals that are interested in participating in the event as a foursome should email John.Wahlfeld@redcross.org for entry information. Deadline July 18, 2014 at 5:00p.m. All entries must be paid by the deadline.

Businesses that would like to consider contributing to the event should call John Wahlfeld at 677-7272 x7214.

PEORIA, Ill. (July 9, 2014) – The creative concepts and innovative business practices that helped build Disney into a $150 billion worldwide enterprise are coming to Peoria.

Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center is excited to host the Disney Institute for a magical, one day educational course on Thursday, September 18.

Local business leaders are invited to attend. In this course, Disney will share methods that can be employed immediately, and with little to no cost, to maximize the rich resources every organization already has – your people! Disney understands that engaging and encouraging the imaginative power of employees creates a lasting competitive advantage and maximizes an organization’s potential.

“Creativity and innovation parallel what we strive to do here,” said Matthew Warrens, Executive Director of Operations at Jump. “We also strive to provide world class educational experiences, so hosting the organization that leads the world in customer experience (Disney) is an honor for us.”

Business professionals will learn how to:

•           Apply Disney concepts and practices to increase creativity and innovation

•           Develop a collaborative culture within an organization

•           Encourage risk taking with a strong, well-communicated organizational identity

•           Improve business results through structural systems that bring innovations to life.

•           Recognize and nurture the important links between leadership and innovation

Cost of the one day event is $490. Seating is limited. To register or for more information, please visit: http://www.jumpsimulation.org/events/disney-institute.html

Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center (Jump) is a collaboration of OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Jump is a virtual medical training center, combining actual medical equipment and the latest simulation technology for better education, performance training and research. Learn more at: www.jumpsimulation.org.

James Wilhelm, host of WTVP-TV’s award-winning show, Illinois Adventure, will portray Wyatt Earp in a one man show scheduled for July 25, 26, and 27^th at the Apollo Theatre in Peoria.

In his character as Earp, he will talk about his life from his birth in Monmouth, IL, to the famous gunfight at the OK Corral, including his arrests as a young man in Peoria, Henry and Beardstown.

This imagined trip to Peoria coincides with the opening of the Apollo Theatre in downtown Peoria in 1914.

Wilhelm has also played lead roles in these American classics: Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, A Few Good Men, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Picnic.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on July 25 & 26^th and at 2:30 p.m. on July 27^th. The performance will last 70 minutes. Admission is $10.00.

Tickets may be purchased at the Apollo Theatre, 311 Main St. from noon to 1:00 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, or by mail at the same address, or by phone at 309-673-4343 or by email at: apollofinearts13@gmail.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door before each performance as available. Seating is limited.

The Peoria Park District Glen Oak Amphitheatre presents The Nut Job on July 14. Gates open at 8 p.m.; movie begins at dusk. Cost is $.50 per person. Come out early at 7:30 p.m. for a free Camp OnStage performance!

Movies are projected onto the Glen Oak Amphitheatre’s band shell, located in Glen Oak Park. Pack some snacks or purchase some from the concession stand.

Visit www.peoriaparks.org for the complete Family Flick schedule or call (309) 688-3667 with questions.

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 Get in the swing of things with the Peoria Park District’s fall Adult Slow-Pitch Softball Leagues. This 7-game season begins September 2 and will be held on Sunday through Friday evenings at Peoria Stadium. Leagues being offered include: Men’s 12″, Co Rec- 12″, 50+ League, Friday Men’s Church League, Friday Men’s League, and Friday Co-Rec League. Fees vary by league.

Registration packets for these programs are available at the Noble Center in Lakevi ew Park and at www.peoriaparks.org/softball.

For more information, contact Nick McDuffee at 681-2867 or visit our website at www.peoriaparks.

Great Prizes including MLB tickets and iPads part of July 12 driving event to benefit Make-A-Wish^® Illinois

 What:  I Spy A Wish Team Adventure is a driving scavenger hunt to raise money for Make-A-Wish^® Illinois in order to grant the wishes of four area children. The goal is to raise $25,000 with your help! Each registered team will use clues to find sponsored stops in the Peoria area. Teams will take a photo at each location and meet Make-A-Wish kids throughout the adventure.  Teams made up of family members, friends, or even businesses or groups of coworkers are welcomed. This year, via the I Spy A Wish website, you can see which of your Facebook friends are participating, and you can create a team by connecting with participating friends and family members. Register now at www.ispyawish.com. If you are unable to attend but would like to support the event, you can also make an online donation on the registration page.

Visit the events website www.ispyawish.com to register and for more details! Questions about the event can be directed to event chair Stacy Borho Byrd at 309-303-1542 or via email at ispyawish@hotmail.com.

When: Saturday, July 12, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.  Advance registration is at www.ispyawish.com; Day of event registration begins at 1:00 p.m.

The next “Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business” training of 2014 focuses on marketing for nonprofits.  The Community Foundation of Central Illinois, Chuck Weaver’s Leaders Change Peoria Foundation and nonprofit consultants Ruby & Associates organize the free “Fundamentals” series for area nonprofit staff and volunteer leaders.  We are pleased to announce that CEFCU is underwriting this training.

Registration for the August 21st, “Marketing to YOUR Audience” will be held in the auditorium of the Peoria Public Library located in downtown Peoria, IL from 1:00 – 4:00PM.  Nonprofit Executive Directors/CEOs, staff and board members are invited to attend. There is no cost for this training, but registration is required.  To register, visit www.communityfoundationci.org and click on “The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business Series” link under “Quick Links.” 

Once again, local presenters will share their expertise and experience in marketing nonprofits.  We welcome Bill Claybrook, Global Post Merger Integration Leader atDow AgroSciences and

Suzette Boulais, Executive Director of Arts Partners.  Mr. Claybrook and Ms. Boulais will share their experiences and strategies marketing in the nonprofit sector.  The speakers will address issues facing both small and large organizations.

“The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business” is a collaborative effort designed to impact the nonprofit sector by offering quality training on issues relevant to our community.  Each session includes a focused discussion concerning the central Illinois nonprofit sector as a whole.  The intent is to create an open dialogue within the sector in a neutral setting.  Therefore, professionals and nonprofits will not only benefit from the training content, but have the opportunity to network and more importantly to participate in an organized dialogue about our community.

Past “Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business” topics have covered board leadership, legal issues, strategic planning and fundraising strategies related to the nonprofit sector.  More than 350 local professionals have attended past trainings.  Former sessions and presenters include:

• October 2012: How to be an Effective Board Leader

o        Bill Cirone, President and CEO of Federal Warehouse Company

o        Chris Monroe, CEO and Founder of CPS

o        Mark Spenny, President and CEO of CEFCU

o        Eileen Ruby Setti, Partner at Ruby & Associates

• January 2013: Navigating Legal Issues in the Nonprofit Sector

o        John Sahn, Of Counsel with Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White and Frederick

o        Clete Winklemann, President and CEO of Children’s Home Association of Illinois

• April 2013: Engaging Your Board in a Comprehensive Fundraising Strategy

o        Mark Roberts, CEO of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois

o        Steven Thompson, CEO of Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington

• August 2013: Strategic Planning: Making Your Dreams Come True

o        Martha Herm, Executive Director of the Center for Prevention of Abuse

o        Eileen Ruby Setti, Partner at Ruby & Associates

• October 2013: Lighting a Fire Under Your Board

o        Councilman Chuck Weaver, Leaders Change Peoria

• January 2014: Demystifying Nonprofit Human Resource Practices

o        Raylana Anderson, Principal at Anderson Consulting

o        Rick Zehr, CEO of IPMR

• April 2014: Fundraising for the Rest of Us: Raising Money Without a Big/Any Budget or Staff

o        Nathan Ruby, Partner with Ruby & Associates

o         Brad Guidi, Executive Director of Camp Big Sky

o         Pam Perrilles, Executive Director of Peoria CASA

o        Jamie Czesak, Board Member of Heart of Illinois Down Syndrome Association (HOIDSA)

“The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business” is organized through the efforts of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois, Chuck Weaver and Leaders Change Peoria and local nonprofit consultants, Ruby & Associates.    The August 21^st event is underwritten by CEFCU.

The Community Foundation of Central Illinois manages a fiscal account for any contributions given to the project.  To make a donation, please call 309-674-8730. Gifts can be designated to “The Fundamentals of Nonprofit Business.”

Beginning Tuesday morning, July 15, Grange Hall Road will be closed from Trigger Road to Illinois Route 91 for construction associated with the extension of Orange Prairie Road.

Grange Hall Road will be closed to through traffic until construction of the new intersection with Grange Hall Road/Illinois Route 91/Orange Prairie Road is completed. Construction is expected to last approximately four months, weather depending.

Traffic along Illinois Route 91 will be maintained under a construction zone speed limit. Please use caution when driving through construction zones. For more information, contact Scott Reeise, City Engineer at (309) 494-8800.