North Cook News

Village of Arlington Heights Abilities Celebration Committee met Jan. 30.

Here is the minutes provided by the committee:

I. CALL TO ORDER

The Arlington Heights Abilities Celebration Committee meeting of the Arlington Heights Commission for Citizens with Disabilities was called to order by Chairman Calibraro at 6:16 p.m. in the Buechner Room at Village Hall.

II. ROLL CALL

PRESENT:

Roxanne Calibraro, Chairman

Seth Goldberg

Jackie McCarty

Peg McMahon

Eva Mullinax

David McCallum

Michele Ramsey

Sheryl Letwat

Brian Harrison

ABSENT:

ALSO PRESENT:

David Robb, Disability Services Coordinator/Board Liaison

Stacy Shein-Stapleton, ASL Interpreter

Laurel Katz, resident, Melissa Cayer, resident,

III. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Being this was the first committee meeting there were no minutes.

IV. REPORTS

A. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS ABILITIES CELEBRATION

Coordinator Robb reported that he is the Village’s main contact for planning of the Abilities Celebration. He will be reporting back to James McCalister, Health & Human Services Director and to Randy Recklaus, Village Manager.

He, along with Commissioner Goldberg, Ted Goldberg, and Laurel Katz met with Steve Burke, Director of Building and Grounds, at St. Viator High School, for a walkthrough of the facility. It’s a great facility. We got an email confirmation from Steve on Friday January 24 stating that the Commission can use their facility for free, but there would be a staff expense charged to the commission of $986 to cover the cost of three staff for Saturday September 12th. This is the first budget item to consider. Coordinator Robb went on to report that the Commission has a

Community Awareness line item in the amount of $2000. The Commission spent roughly $1,000 in 2019. So there is a small budget to help cover expenses.

Commissioner Goldberg explained that St. Viator is not charging for tables and chairs the stage set up or use of the bleachers. Setup would begin at 7:30 am. For the event opening at 10:00 am and running until 4:00 pm.

Chair Calibraro asked, why would we go until 4:00 pm? A discussion ensued with resident Laurel Katz stating that the extended time until 4:00 pm would allow more speakers to present and give vendors a longer stay. Commissioners reasoned that people will come and go and not stay or come for the full event.

V. OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business.

VI. NEW BUSINESS

A. BUDGET

The budget will include items wanted and their costs. This includes the cost a DJ and individual Speakers. Sign Language Interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services. Printing, copying, and mailing.

Sources of revenue include Commission’s Community Awareness line item, for profit vendor fees, monetary sponsorships from agencies and possibly the Village of Arlington Heights.

We will budget $2500 to compensate 5 speakers at up to $500 per speaker. It doesn’t mean we have to spend the whole amount budgeted. We will budget $1,000 for the DJ. $1,000 for the cost of St. Viator staff and $500 for printing and mailing,

The total budget is $5000.

B. NEXT MEETING

Discussion of the Abilities Celebration will resume at the Tuesday February 11, 2020 at 7:00 p.m., Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting.

C. PROTOCOL

Coordinator Robb in the contact person for the Village. All correspondence should go through him. Commissioners seeking information from the Village of Arlington

Heights should direct their questions to Coordinator Robb.

All correspondence must receive prior approval when on Village Letterhead.

D. SCOPE

1. Venue

St. Viator High School. Two gymnasiums one large that could fit 25 vendor tables or more with only one set of bleachers extended. This is the main gym where all the events are held but it is not air conditioned. The small gym is air conditioned but does not have bleachers. More or all the vendors could be set up in the small gym. The two gyms are close to each other.

Commissioner Ramsey suggested having a Sensory Space located either in one of the gyms or set up in a nearby classroom. We should provide use of headphones for people needing them who get over stimulation from all the sounds and commotion. The event should be for all ages.

Coordinator Robb will contact Steve Berke, at St. Viator H.S. to get the floor plan for the gyms and facilities to begin designing a layout for the event.

2. Entertainment

Commissioner Goldberg will get price quotes from several Disc Jockeys (DJ’s) for the cost of provided entertainment and for our use of their sound system for the other parts of the program, i.e. speakers, welcome, and introductions.

Speakers

Commissioners will contact potential speakers and learn what they charge and if they are available on September 12, 2020. Commissioners are to forward the names of these speakers to Coordinator Robb. He will compile a list to be voted on at the next meeting.

Some potential speakers include: Karen Tamley, Disability Commissioner for the City of Chicago and new President and CEO of Access Living of Chicago. Jason Benetti, Sports announcer.

Commissioners each need to contact speakers check their availability for Sept 12 and what they charge. Forward the information to David or bring to the next meeting.

3. Vendors/Agencies

Nonprofit agencies no charge. For profit vendors will be charged $100 to participate in the event. Some vendors to include: a disability climbing wall, other agencies may include Village of Arlington Heights Police and Fire Departments, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Wheeling and Elk Grove Townships, Pace Bus, Metra, Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services, Mane in Heaven, etc.

4. Food

First priority is to include food vendors of agencies serving individuals with disabilities including Gerry’s Café, Miseracordia, also vendors who have workers with disabilities like Jewel, Culver’s, Target. Food trucks get booked very fast. Food trucks require a certain number of sales to come out. Dunkin Donuts have a food truck.

5. Invitations

A one-page flyer will be made that can be used as an invitation to invite people to the event, this would include people on the Connections Mailing list and throughout the community. The flyer could be enlarged to make a poster. We could ask businesses to put the flyer or posters in their windows to help advertise the event. Making the flyer is a priority.

Invitations should be made to send to dignitaries.

6. Advertisement

Flyers sent to agencies and newspaper articles and social media. Plastic bags with the Village logo and commission on the bag. This can be sent out to the Chamber of Commerce and other entities.

Commissioner Goldberg will forward names of T.V. personalities he knows to Coordinator Robb as contacts for Nancy Kluz in generating stories about the Abilities Celebration.

7. Sponsor/Door Prizes

Commissioner Goldberg suggested drafting a letter to solicit sponsorships and another letter to invite vendors to the event. Coordinator Robb said that he will ask Karie Van Grinsven for sample solicitation and vender invitation letters used by the Senior Celebration committee.

Knights of Columbus had offered to help the Commission. Commissioner McMahon said they may help out the commission by donating to the commission’s efforts but that they cannot give directly to specific events.

The Village may be able to contribute once a program and budget is developed.

8. Program – Presentations

Coordinator Robb suggested starting by developing the program. This will give structure to the event. He suggested staring with a “Welcome” perhaps by the Mayor and Village Manager. Then “Introductions” Raffles, Entertainment. Commissioner Ramsey suggested putting a program together to give a time frame to the event.

I Welcome

II Introductions – Commission Chair

III Entertainment – pep squad

IV Keynote Speaker

V Raffle interspersed throughout the event

VI Interactive Demonstration – Conga Line

VII Speaker

Scheduled down time for attendees to visit with vendors.

VII. OTHER BUSINESS

VIII. ADJOURNMENT

Due to the hour of the evening it was, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Commissioner McCarty, seconded by Commissioner Goldberg. Motion passed by unanimous consent. The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 pm.