Collection Box for Dist. 59 backpacks at the Enclave Learning and Education Center in Elk Grove Village. (Photo submitted)
Elk Grove Village is geographically, and in some ways culturally, separated into business park and residential parts of the village. One attempt to bridge those worlds came to life in a small way last month at the Enclave Learning and Education Center in Elk Grove Village.
Karen Osmanski, president of the Community Character Coalition of Elk Grove, attended a master class in Enclave last month appealing to entrepreneurs and business leaders to donate to the Community Character Coalition’s backpack drive for Elk Grove Township Elementary School Dist. 59 students.
John Dallas, Enclave founder and Community Character Coalition board member, said John-Michael Williams, president of Elk Grove Village-based Tykables, pulled out his cell phone and ordered 40 backpacks. Dallas said others in the class, speaking with representatives from Scotland via video conference, also pulled out their phones and iPads to order more backpacks for Dist. 59 children.
So far, Dallas said between 200 and 300 backpacks have been collected through the drive for the Dist. 59 students through the Enclave. Character Coalition President Karen Osmanski later said 130 more backpacks were collected after that.
New backpacks can be ordered from any online retailer and shipped directly to Dist. 59 Administration Center, 1001 Leicester Rd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 noting the backpack donation drive, or dropped off at collection points including Dist. 59 office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Enclave Learning and Earning Center, 75 Turner Ave., during regular business hours of 8:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, or Elk Grove Public Library, 1001 Wellington Ave. , during regular working hours.
Community Character Coalition holds backpack drive for Dist. 59 students by Monday, July 25. Those backpacks will be distributed to students at school events in August.
Master courses for entrepreneurs are held every third Wednesday of the month in the Enclave.
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