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Despite sweltering heat, the festivities still had a cool touch to them…whether it was choosing to participate in the Water Wars event or feeling a cool breeze from a child carrying a portable fan that also happened to spray water…so that by the end of the bash, the outside temperature didn’t matter any more and everyone instead left with a feeling of internal warmth and camaraderie.
Whether it was the Bean Bag Tournament or one of the songs performed by two different bands that called you onto the dance floor, the steady stream of raffle winners who also crossed the wood-paneled floor became quite entertaining as many of the winners became exuberant with the prizes they won. It was almost like Christmas in July with the number of prizes that were so graciously donated from a variety of places. Golf bags, bean bag sets, gift certificates from a variety of stores and restaurants helped make the raffle ticket sales soar while keeping the odds fairly reasonable.
The children seemed to have an easier time in the heat, not hesitating to play with water balloons or squirt guns while also spending a significant amount of time dancing and playing on the dance floor with inflatable sharks and colorful beach balls, courtesy of the band Southern Course. Many had their faces and arms painted with various images of baseball team allegiances, bunny rabbits and rainbows by artistically-talented volunteers of ASTP, while everyone of all ages enjoyed food and drinks provided by Double Play Saloon in Blue Island, Kenootz Pizzeria, Banquets and Catering in Midlothian, and Hayes Beer Distributing Company of Alsip.
Many of the Oak Fest volunteers came out to hang out with us, and we are grateful for the hands-on assistance of Hank Kuspa, Joe Koce, Ken Keeler, Kevin Helwig, Ed Meroz, as well as everyone with DNR Construction and KC Audio. A special thanks to members of the Color Guard from the Midlothian American Legion who attended the event as well as the police presence throughout the event.
And finally an all-inclusive thank you to those of you who helped us set up and take down what we used during the event…the stacked chairs at the end of the evening, people picking up garbage throughout the day, volunteers selling the raffle tickets…your efforts were both felt and appreciated by all.
Reprint from the Daily Southtown
In Uniform
Want to help military families in need? Here’s your chance
July 8, 2007
Many times, they really don’t need much.
When a Southland charity asked the wife of one deployed serviceman what she needed, the military wife asked only for help paying the fees for her two young sons to play Little League Baseball.
It was a request Americans Standing Together Proudly was happy to fulfill.
“We know we’re not going to pay a mortgage for someone,” said Dominic D’Ambrosio, president of Americans Standing Together Proudly. “It’s whatever we can offer them to take some of the burden off with one of their family members away.”
The 5-year-old organization that has members throughout the south suburbs began a fund in March that distributes money to families of deployed service members.
So far, they’ve distributed about $1,000.
To help bulk up the fund, the group will host a fundraiser today on the site of Oak Fest, at 159th Street and Long Avenue.
The event will include live bands, food and drinks. Americans Standing Together Proudly also plans to raffle off White Sox tickets, D’Ambrosio said.
So far, the group has received fewer than 10 requests for cash, but D’Ambrosio said people might not know money is available.
To apply for help, military families can fill out a one-page application, which the organization will review. They will determine on a case-by-case basis how much money to award.
“The idea is that by this (troop) being away that this family is baring a burden,” D’Ambrosio said of the fund.
Visit www.4astp.com to apply.
Kristen Schorsch may be reached at
kschorsch@dailysouthtown.com
or (708) 633-5992.
If You Go
What: Americans Standing Together Proudly fundraiser for families of deployed service members
When: 1 p.m. today
Where: 159th Street and Long Avenue, Oak Forest
Cost: $10 donation; children 12 and younger are free
For more information: www.4astp.com or e-mail astpevents@hotmail.com
Just a reminder that the Americans Standing Together Proudly Summer Bash will begin this Sunday at 1:00pm on the Oak Fest fairgrounds located at 159th and Central Avenue.
You can still up your tickets at Kenootz Pizzeria in Midlothian, Illinois and we are also selling tickets online at our website at www.4astp.com. If you prefer, simply drop in on the festivities and buy your tickets at the entrance. We’ll be celebrating until 9:00pm with live music, food and fun for the kids, as well as a cash bean bag tournament so there will be something for everyone.
If you missed out on getting one of our t-shirts or tank tops at the Oak Fest, you still can buy them online at our website at www.4astp.com.
Proceeds from the t-shirts and tank tops benefit our Relief Fund.
From June 29th through July 4th, the 20th Anniversary Oak Fest was kind enough to make room for an ASTP booth and the public response was absolutely overwhelming! Not only did we raise funds for our Relief Fund through t-shirt sales, donations and a raffle, we made many new friends in the process. Some people stopped by to ask questions while others shared stories and memories we will not soon forget, as well as new volunteers signing up to help any way they could.
Thank you to the Oak Fest Commissioners for all of their help and kindness throughout the event as well as all of the volunteers who helped staff the booth throughout the fest!
Although the main focus of Americans Standing Together Proudly is to provide emergency funding to family members of deployed soldiers, there are times when our veterans are in need of immediate assistance as well and the volunteers of ASTP are always “armed and ready” to answer the call to the best of their abilities.
One example of the dedication of our volunteers is shown below in photographs from a project to install a wheelchair ramp to the house of one such veteran. Although most of us view our homes as a “safe haven,” a house can be transformed into a prison of sorts when the owner cannot come and go as they please. And even though these steps are tiny in height and small in count, they transposed themselves into a guard preventing free exit and entry since the veteran was dependent upon a wheelchair for assistance.
ASTP volunteers joined their various handy-man skills and resources together to eliminate this man-made barrier. Within a day, this veteran was returned the gift of freedom he once fought so bravely to preserve through this peaceful process (minus the noise of construction of course!).
