Volunteers scramble for Gingrich, Santorum visits
Presidential candidates are well aware that election campaigns are ever-changing works-in-progress, but when it comes to arranging specific site visits like those preceding next Tuesday's Illinois primary, a lot of other people get to learn that as well.
GOP hopefuls Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will be making visits to the Northwest suburbs this week that are as prominent and well publicized as they are hastily arranged.
And that has kept people like Illinois With Newt campaign Chairman Keith Hanson of Barrington in a frenzy of activity over the past 10 days.
Hanson has had primary responsibility for arranging of six distinct events for Gingrich on Wednesday and Thursday, including an address to students at Barrington High School.
Barrington Unit District 220 Superintendent Tom Leonard said Hanson suggested the possibility of such a visit some time ago during casual conversation at the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, of which they're both members.
But it was only on March 5 that Hanson confirmed the address could take place at 9 a.m. Thursday.
District 220 spokesman Jeff Arnett said the most work this brought the district was the creation of a website through which about 300 members of the community could get tickets to join students for the speech in the school auditorium.
But the appearance also has required close contact with the Gingrich campaign, the Secret Service and the Barrington Police Department, represented largely by Police Chief Jerry Libit and the school's resource officer.
Arrangements for the visit have cost the district very little financially, however, Arnett said.
While the district is granting students to opt out if they wish, it's an opportunity that the community has embraced, Leonard said.
“We're apolitical, but it's consistent with our history,” Leonard said, explaining that Sen. John F. Kennedy spoke at Barrington High School just weeks before being elected president in 1960, and Sen. Barack Obama was there in 2006 before launching his own presidential campaign.
It's a rare opportunity for students to hear directly from national figures such as Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, Leonard said.
While Gingrich is not reaching out to high school students for votes, Hanson said he hopes at least one student present will be inspired by the opportunities of public service. Hanson said he doesn't remember all his physics and math lessons from high school quite as well as the day the governor visited.
Of all the school visits Gingrich could have made in Illinois, the national campaign felt quite happy with Barrington, Hanson added.
“I have to admit, I think they trusted my judgment,” he said.
Santorum also will be visiting Northwest suburban schools this week, just after Gingrich leaves town.
The former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania will be speaking Friday afternoon to social studies students and an audience of about 500 at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, said Mount Prospect resident and suburban organizer Scott Phelps. At 7 p.m. Friday, Santorum will be at Christian Liberty Academy Arlington Heights, said the Rev. Calvin Lindstrom.
“We agreed to do it because they asked us, and we didn't have a reason to say no,” Lindstrom said. “We're not officially endorsing Santorum or not, but we try to be welcoming to people looking to hold events.”
Santorum's speech will be in the school's Grace gym, which Lindstrom said will probably hold about 1,500 people. The church will be working with Arlington Heights police and Santorum's Secret Service detail for security at the event, he added.
Christian Liberty has hosted political speakers in the past, such as Republican candidate Bill Brady when he was running for governor, but Santorum will be the church's most high-profile guest, Lindstrom said.
“There's a level of excitement there with this man running for such an important office,” he said.
Santorum's currently scheduled appearances were announced Tuesday after plans for another event at Northridge Prep in Niles fell through. A rumored campaign event in Elgin never materialized.
Gingrich on Wednesday night will appear at the Northwest Suburban Republican 2012 Lincoln Day Dinner at The Cotillion banquet hall in Palatine, said Schaumburg Township Republican Committeeman Ryan Higgins.
Though delegates of all the remaining presidential candidates will be among the attendees, Gingrich will be embraced by all without any awkwardness, Higgins said.
Gingrich also will visit the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont and a private fundraiser at the Barrington Hills Country Club on Wednesday, and Judson University in Elgin and the Lake in the Hills Airport on Thursday, Hanson said.