Boy raises nearly $1,000 for restoration of Mt. Prospect's Central School
At the tender age of 8, Nolan Hahn of Mount Prospect is one of the leading donators to a village cause: the renovation of the 19th century one-room schoolhouse, Central School.
He visited the historical landmark last year with his second-grade class from Lions Park School and teacher Julie Vowinkel, who began taking second-graders there nine years ago as an extension of their local history unit.
Now, all five classrooms of second-graders make the field trip, and are encouraged to work chores at home to raise money for the restoration project. In June, the teachers presented the Mount Prospect Historical Society with a check for $617.17 for the fundraising campaign.
Nolan didn't want to stop there. Since last summer, he alone has raised nearly $1,000 for the historic school, and he hopes to raise even more at Mount Prospect's annual Holiday Housewalk, which takes place Dec. 5.
“It's part of Mount Prospect's history,” Nolan says. “We have to save it.”
His method? He and his grandmother, Janet Kirch of Arlington Heights, have developed a local business selling their jewelry, handmade of stones and beach glass, and displayed as pendant necklaces or bracelets.
Patrons at the Mount Prospect Farmers Market liked their custom pieces so much, they nearly sold out in one day and raised more than $500 in one sitting, all of which was earmarked for Central School.
Officials with the Mount Prospect Historical Society say Nolan has gone above and beyond in his dedication to the project, and they fondly refer to him as the “School House Superstar.”
“Nolan is certainly one of the major supporters of the Central School restoration project,” says Lindsay Rice, executive director. “He is just as determined as we are to see it finished and opened by 2017.”
Creative merchandising helps. At the farmers market, he and his grandmother gracefully displayed the jewelry pieces over driftwood, and positioned a poster with their business name: “Treasures from the Sea, by Grammy and Me.”
A visit to the Wilmette Beach early last summer triggered their business plan. While scouring the beach for novelties, Nolan found unusual rocks and colorful pieces of beach glass, which he quickly showed his grandmother.
“Think we could sell these?” he asked her.
Admittedly, Kirch has a creative flair and she likes jewelry, so she saw the possibilities once he gathered his goodies.
“When we first started making them, it was hit or miss,” Kirch says, “but now we've got a system.”
If Kirch had the initial vision, Nolan creates most of the pieces, selecting the rocks and the ribbon or cord to display them on, as well as what colors to put together. After Nolan wraps each piece in order to suspend it as a necklace or bracelet, his grandmother checks the length and cuts each one with wire cutters.
“My favorites are the ones with beach glass on rocks, with copper wire,” Nolan says.
Nolan's mother, Kristin Hahn, says her son is singularly focused on advancing the schoolhouse's renovation — so that he can eventually go inside. Officials with the Historical Society say it needs to be restored before it can be opened to the public.
“He's always been a kid who enjoys volunteering,” she says. “One of his favorite things to do is to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children (in Schaumburg). He's just got this nature about him.”