St. Colette's yearlong celebration continues
A 50th birthday is such a significant event, St. Colette Church is stretching out the party.
"This whole year we're celebrating 50 years," said Liz Davis, a member of the anniversary committee, which has planned a series of events that started last spring.
Two more are set for next week.
Oktoberfest, a dinner and dance night for adults, is from 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 20. It's a night of traditional German food and entertainment that's open to the community.
Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., and there will be a cash bar. Oktoberfest will be held at the Parish Center just south of the church, at 3900 Meadow Drive.
Tickets are $20, and Davis recommends buying them in advance. Call (847) 767-3303.
The other event next week is St. Colette School's annual "Trackathon" fundraiser.
Pledges are being gathered, and on Friday students will walk laps around the school gym to raise money to help offset the school's budget.
The event is billed as an opportunity to let students contribute toward their own education.
The children have spent weeks preparing since the kickoff Sept. 21. "We had a pep rally, and our mascot was there -- the tiger -- getting the kids all pumped up about it," Davis said.
"It is one of the biggest school fundraisers and really gets the school involved in exercise and healthy team competition," says Colleen Statsny, one of the organizers. The kids divide into teams of orange and black, with Principal Valerie Zemko leading the orange team and Father Dennis Zalecki rallying the black team.
St. Colette's yearlong celebration will culminate with a special Mass in April, which just might be attended by Cardinal Francis George, Davis says.
Capital experience: A Rolling Meadows teen is headed for Washington, D.C., this month to participate in the National Young Leaders Conference.
Katie Temple, a junior at Rolling Meadows High School, is part of an elite group of students who will attend seminars, discuss current events with high-ranking officials and sharpen leadership skills during a week of hands-on learning.
The program is run by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council. "They look for students who have a high GPA and have shown leadership ability," said Dave Froelich, the teacher who nominated Katie.
Katie was in Froelich's health class last year. "She seemed like a great kid and interested in learning. She popped into my head right away."
Katie is the daughter of Robert and Lynn Temple.
Come home: Join the masses as the Rolling Meadows Mustangs take on Buffalo Grove for the homecoming game tonight. Kickoff is at 7:30 at the stadium.