4th of July Parade Grand Marshals Announced

The City of Elgin's 4th of July Parade - Presented by Sherman Health and the 4th of July Parade Committee announced today its 2012 Parade Grand Marshals will be the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois.

To celebrate their centennial anniversary, the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois CEO, Vicki Wright, will serve as the official ambassador She will ride in a beautiful powder blue Cadillac, courtesy of Elgin resident Richard Bennett, and will be joined by an Elgin area high school student who will be receiving her Gold Award - the highest award a Girl Scout can earn for achievement in community service. Following right behind the Grand Marshal vehicle will be the Girl Scouts Color Guard and dozens of scouts of all ages.

“The 4th of July Parade Committee is privileged to have these wonderful young ladies representing Elgin as our ambassadors for the 2012 Parade,” said DNA Promotions Coordinator Jason Pawlowski.

Girl Scouts Founder, Juliette Gordon Low, organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. Since then, for 100 years, Girl Scouts has been building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts. More than 59 million American women enjoyed Girl Scouting during their childhood and that number continues to grow as Girl Scouts continues to inspire, challenge, and empower girls everywhere.

The 2012 City of Elgin 4th of July Parade – Presented by Sherman Health steps off Wednesday, July 4 at 9AM at Slade and Douglas Avenues and ending at Highland and Douglas Avenues. The theme of this year’s parade is “Red, White and Food” – a celebration of Elgin’s great tastes and unique flavors.

Nearly 100 parade units are expected to participate in this summertime tradition, which typically draws more than 15,000 spectators annually to downtown Elgin.

The 2012 City of Elgin 4th of July Parade is presented by Sherman Health. Additional parade sponsors include Alexian Brothers Health System, Armida & Joe Dominguez, BMO Harris Bank, Danny's Pizza, Elgin Community College, Lamp Incorporated, Payday Loan Store, Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, Psychosis Haunted House, Spring Hill Gymnastics, Waste Management and Woody Buick.

Downtown Elgin Harvest Market Kicks Off 12th Season

The Downtown Neighborhood Association is excited to kick off its 12th season of the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market – Presented by Alexian Brothers Health System this Thursday, June 7 with brand new market hours from 4-8PM. Located prominently in downtown Elgin at 200 N. Grove Avenue, our weekly outdoor market will run for eighteen consecutive weeks every Thursday thru October 4.

Opening day at the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market will consist of:

• Free Alexian Brothers and Davey Tree Tote Bags for customers
• More than 20 vendors with fresh vegetables, breads, olives, spices, honey, fresh cut flowers, t-shirts, artwork and concessions
• NEW! Weekly Kids Row run by community partners. Kids can partake in fun, on-site activities and also have a chance to win prizes by trying a new vegetable each week and showing a recently checked out Gail Borden Public Library book to one our Kid’s Row Harvest Market volunteers. This promotion is held in conjunction with the Gail Borden Public Library’s summer reading program “Reading is So Delicious”.
• NEW! Weekly cooking demonstrations with Chef Quincy Owens. Each week Chef Quincy, a personal chef and Elgin Community College graduate, will show market patrons how to take available products at the market and transform them into a great meal or snack for your family.
• Weekly live entertainment with DJ Greg from Fun Time Music spinning music.
• The Elgin Fire Department will also be on hand weekly with their trucks and various fire fighting and rescue equipment. This is the public’s opportunity to meet and mingle with their local firefighters and become familiar with the tools of their trade.
• Interactive, informational community and sponsor booths focusing on wellness, environment, sustainability, and the community.

Thanks to a grant from the Fit for Kids program, customers will be able to use their EBT/Link cards as well as credit cards at the market information booth to purchase tokens for buying products at the market.

For more details about weekly events, live entertainment and attractions at the 2012 Downtown Elgin Harvest Market, visit www.ElginHarvestMarket.com

The Downtown Elgin Harvest Market is presented by Alexian Brothers Health System and is sponsored by Davey Tree, Waste Management, Armida & Joe Dominguez, Chiro One, Salon Couture and Simple Balance Holistic Center. The City of Elgin is a Downtown Elgin Harvest Market partner.

For more information on the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market or how to get involved, please contact Harvest Market manager Jennifer Benson at 847-488-1456 or via email at elginharvestmarket@gmail.com.