Traveling 'Concert for Life' headed to Mt. Prospect
A "Concert for Life" is coming to Mount Prospect at 3 p.m., July 29 at St. Cecilia Church, 700 S. Meier Road.
These traveling concerts, featuring professional pianist and singer Matt Wessel and his musician friends, have been raising funds for the American Cancer Society in churches all over Lake County since 2001 and now are coming to Cook County thanks to Mike Koenig of Des Plaines.
"I attended my first Concert for Life in Gurnee in March 2004," said Koenig, a 2005 graduate of Libertyville High School, whose family recently moved to Des Plaines. "The music is not comparable to anything I have ever heard. It's the type of music where you can sit back and think about the wonderful things that we all have in our lives."
According to his Web site, www.mattwesselmusic.com, Wessel blends religious, secular and instrumental music with his stories of life, hope, courage and strength at his concerts.
Before he knew it, Koenig was organizing his own Concert for Life at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Libertyville, an event which attracted between 600 and 700 people and raised just over $8,000 for the fight against cancer -- the disease which took Koenig's grandfather in 1997.
Now that he is living in this area, he says he wants to repeat the experience. So he started with his new church, St. Cecilia, recruited helpers and is proceeding full speed ahead.
Tickets for the July 29 show are $5 in advance or $8 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at Millie's Hallmark, 1024 S. Elmhurst Road, Mount Prospect, after Sunday Masses at St. Cecilia Church; by phone at (847) 254-6919; or by e-mail at www.concertforlife2007@yahoo.com.
There will also be a huge raffle at the concert with prizes ranging from cooking baskets to gift cards. All proceeds will help fight cancer by funding the American Cancer Society's work.
"A Concert for Life is such an amazing thing that I wish everyone could see and be part of one," Koenig explains. "It makes you feel so good and makes you want to help others, which is what everything is all about.
"All of the money raised goes to cancer research, housing for families whose members are receiving treatment, free wigs for patients and things like that. When you know that, it just makes you want to work harder."
Summer book sale: Need a relaxing read for the beach or your back yard?
Friends of the Mount Prospect Public Library will hold its annual Summer Book Sale this weekend at the library, 10 S. Emerson St.
The sale will open to Friends members only from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., today. If you are not a member but wish to get in on the best selections, the annual $5 membership fee is a bargain and is available at the door. Family memberships are also available.
The general public may enjoy the sale from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and from noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
"Generous donations of excellent quality items continue to come in, keeping selections fresh and shelves full," said Ed Rechner of the Friends.
Individually priced adult and children's better books, videos, audio books and music will be sold in the large main floor meeting room. All other books, paperbacks, records and more children's books will be sold in the Friends' book sale room on the library's parking lot level.
Call (847) 253-5675 for more information.