Three special girls to see 'Hannah Montana'

Double-platinum star Miley Cyrus will take the stage Saturday at Rosemont's Allstate Arena with three special fans in the audience.

The teen star's "Best of Both Worlds Tour" follows the release of her double album, "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus," which has sold more than 1 million copies. Her first album, released late last year, sold more than 2 million copies.

Sold out in minutes, Saturday's concert featuring 14-year-old Miley Cyrus' alter ego is one hot ticket.

That is, of course, unless you know the owner of the Allstate.

A request on behalf of three girls with cancer led Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens to secure box seats for the girls and their families. The village of Rosemont runs the Allstate Arena.

Cheryl Arts, of the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation, sent an e-mail requesting tickets to the concert for 8-year-old Olivia Aleman of Oak Lawn, and 13-year-old Marianthe Hatzis of Palos Park. Later, Arts mentioned that 10-year-old Brooke Bemont, a St. Charles cancer patient, also was a "Hannah Montana" fan.

The e-mail went to Leyden Township employee Rick Weigand, a cancer survivor who heads a cancer foundation in Franklin Park. Then, he sent it to Stephens, who's also the Leyden Township supervisor.

The three girls will get to see their teen idol, as Stephens said he was touched by their stories.

Seeing his father, the late Mayor Donald E. Stephens, die of cancer brought the issue close to him.

"I couldn't imagine having a daughter or son having to go through this," Stephens said.

He's also behind more efforts to help young patients.

Stephens has donated four tickets to the "Hannah Montana" concert. They will be auctioned off this morning on the Ramblin' Ray show on US-99 (WUSN-FM 99.5).

The proceeds will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Stephens also helped fulfill other wishes for the girls.

He helped find a puppy for young Olivia Aleman. He also helped get Marianthe Hatzis a laptop computer.

For more information on Bear Necessities, log onto www.bearnecessities.org.

50 years of bowling: Sim's Bowl, that neon institution in downtown Des Plaines, is being honored for a half century of bowling,

The Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association, based in Lincolnwood, gave the bowling alley an award for being in business for 50 years.

Sim's is at 1555 Ellinwood Ave.