Naperville inviting 145,000 for community snapshot

Getting the perfect family photo for your holiday cards is always a challenge.

Someone inevitably seems to be staring off into space as if searching for Santa, or has their eyes closed or has that pesky wisp of hair in their face.

And there's always the wiseguy putting horns or maybe reindeer antlers behind dad's head.

None of that is lost on Naperville Mayor George Pradel, but it's not stopping him from trying for his own version of a family photo next week.

Only Pradel's idea goes a little beyond mom, dad and the kids.

He's inviting every resident of Naperville that's more than 145,000 for those of you keeping score at home to show up for a community photo at 2 p.m. Nov. 26 at Rotary Hill near the Moser Tower along the city's downtown Riverwalk.

And the idea appears to be picking up speed faster than Rudolph on an icy roof.

Pradel's original plan was to invite a relatively small number of folks to gather outside city hall at 400 S. Eagle St. and form the word “Peace.”

The mayor says he was looking to have a few people from as many different ethnic groups as possible line up along the Riverwalk behind the municipal center or around the holiday tree in front. A photographer would be stationed on the roof and everybody would look up and say “Cheese.”

The photo would serve as the centerpiece of the city's electronic holiday card normally e-mailed to city employees and officials from neighboring towns.

Pradel says the city contacted leaders from several ethnic groups to invite them to take part in the project and also sent notices to newspapers to help spread the word.

He says he would have been happy to have 100 people show up.

Word spread rapidly, however, and before he could say “Ho, ho, ho,” the city was hearing from residents who wanted their kids to be in the picture and media members from as far away as the National Public Radio studios in New York City.

“It's more than I anticipated,” said Pradel, who is not normally a master of the understatement.

With all the unexpected attention and logistical changes, city spokeswoman Nadja Lalvani said final details of the photo shoot now probably won't be released until Monday.

Pradel, meanwhile, says the city tentatively plans to use spray paint to spell out the word “Peace” on Rotary Hill and then have participants stand inside the lines.

No one is exactly sure how many people will attend and Pradel is reluctant to hazard a guess.

“I'm afraid to say,” he said Friday. “I imagine a few hundred people.”

Whatever happens, officials are urging participants to arrive early. You can wear whatever makes you happy sweaters with snowflakes or poinsettias are always nice and there are no special requirements.

“Naperville is a community that comes together time and time again to support and encourage each other,” Pradel said in a written statement. “We're telling the world that Naperville is a city that promotes peace on Earth, peace throughout our nation, and peace right here at home. I especially encourage all of our young people to come out and help make the 2010 holiday card a community message from all of us.”

This isn't the first time the city has pursued a community photo. It tackled a similar effort in conjunction with the arrival of the new millennium.