Dancing Under the Stars and Stripes

I kept looking at the weather all day on Saturday. The weather channel said rain for sure while other sources couldn't decide. The plan was to wrap up my work, run to get my hair trimmed and then head to the Oak Lawn Metra Parking Garage.  I would wear my suit but without a tie. A tie seemed too much.

This was something I was looking forward to all week. What a concept, to have an evening fundraiser on top of the Metra Parking Garage. The Oak Lawn Rotary has been raising money to create a 9/11 First Responder Memorial that would lay literally feet from the very garage we were partying on top of.

This event brought out an interesting mix of Rotarians, politicians, and residents. The food was catered by Palermo’s on 95th Street.  Big Tony Calderone who owns Palermo's was running around making sure that the food was just right. The weather did hold out. We only had a few spits of rain before the sky cleared and the air turned nice and cool. There was a 14-piece orchestra and white lights were strung above the dance floor.

I had a chance to sit and talk to the owners of BJ McMahon's as well as Deja Brew Bar & Grill.  I imagine they were all happy to have someone else doing the cooking for a change. I also talked to some of the board members of the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn.  I saw plenty of Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce memebrs there as well.  I’m guessing that there were probably around 100 guests in total.

I could have been many places on Saturday night.  Among my options was staying home and watching TV.  I really wanted to be at this event because of what it represented to me – hope, determination and a sense of community.

Oak Lawn has many sculptures around town. Most of them are nice but not particularly special. This, however, will probably be the most inspired of the lot. This one might hold up to some artistic critique. This monument represents the American Spirit.  It also is a strong voice for taking the bad and making good from it.  This is the proverbial, “making lemonade out of lemons.” 

I anxiously await the dedication of this sculpture on Sept. 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.  I know it will be something that the community will want to visit and walk around for many years. The Rotary said they are more than half way to the needed $100,000 for the monument. This is one of many fundraisers that have taken place around town for this project. I know they will make it.  I liken this to the building of the new Children’s Museum. Oak Lawn knows when something is good. Residents come together and make it happen.

You can learn more about the monument by going to www.monumentaloaklawn.com