Winfield Junior Woman's Club celebrates 40th anniversary

They're the women behind many annual events in Winfield, from the Good Old Days summer festival to the Snacks With Santa, where kids get a chance to have their own personal powwow with Santa Claus.

And this year, the Winfield Junior Women's Club will be celebrating its 40th year of service to the community.

The club was organized in 1967 with a group of six women, headed by Winfield resident Barbara Gary serving as the first president. One of the first major projects the club undertook was to celebrate the Illinois Sesquicentennial in 1968.

The event proved to be so popular with Winfield residents that it became Winfield's annual Good Old Days celebration, which proved to become an annual event held the weekend after Labor Day.

Throughout the years, the Winfield Junior Women's Club has supported the Winfield community and beyond with programs and monetary donations. Over the past 10 years alone, the club has donated more than $110,000 to organizations ranging from the American Cancer Society to the YWCA.

In the local community, the club has made donations to several groups, including the Winfield Garden Club, Winfield Historical Society, Winfield Chamber of Commerce, Winfield In Action, Winfield Public Library, Winfield School District 34, College Scholarship to Winfield Area Student and Central DuPage Hospital, with a toy collection for its Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Department.

Winfield residents have benefited from several events organized by the group, including Snacks with Santa, the Scarecrow Fest, Winfield Road cleanup/Adopt-A-Highway, various candidate forums and a variety of fundraisers.

As part of the celebration, a 5K run, "Juniors Jog," will be April 12. To register for the event, visit www.signmeup.com/59083.

The club meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month, except January, June and July, at the Winfield Community Bank meeting room. Membership is open to all women in the community and surrounding areas.

For membership information, call Kathy Janis at (630) 221-1176.