Cell phones can help St. Patrick's build school
A St. Charles recycling firm wants to turn your old cell phones into school construction money for St. Patrick Catholic Church.
The Rosenthal Group has launched a new fundraising campaign driven by rebates it receives for taking unused cell phones out of circulation.
On average, the company says, there are two or three old mobile phones just gathering dust in most U.S. households. Those thrown in the trash only add hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and arsenic to our landfills and environment.
Rosenthal Group recently teamed up with West Chicago's Vertex Wireless for a cell phone recovery program, for which the Rosenthal Group gets $2 to $15 for each recycled phone. The firm has pledged to put 100 percent of that money toward the ongoing multimillion-dollar project to build a new school at St. Patrick's.
"What makes Vertex unique is their ability to properly dispose of wireless equipment through their recovery capabilities, which recycles all the various components of a cell phone," said Fred J. Rosenthal, a senior recycling consultant for the company and a parishioner at St. Patrick's.
"(The fundraiser is) an excellent opportunity to support the (church) building fund while protecting the environment."
Rosenthal's preliminary goal is to get at least 25 percent of his fellow parishioners to donate two cell phones each, generating roughly $20,000 for the project. His company assures donors all data (phone numbers, call logs, etc.) will be deleted from the phones before they're shipped out for recycling.
Donations are being accepted during regular business hours at 1232 S. 10th St. in St. Charles. Additional drop-off locations might be announced as the fundraiser moves along.
For details, call (630) 926-3109.
First Street tours: If you've been itching to see what all the hubbub is about regarding the First Street redevelopment project in St. Charles, you might mark June 5 on your calendar.
That is when the chamber of commerce and the city are playing host to a pair of guided tours along the $105 million, six-block construction project just west of the Fox River in downtown St. Charles.
Tourists will get an eagle's view of the ongoing construction from atop the city's new parking deck. They'll also get to see first-hand all of the infrastructure improvements and new commercial and residential buildings taking shape as the project, slated for completion in 2012, moves along in its second year.
The free tours are planned for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 5. Advance registration is required by Tuesday. For details, call (630) 584-8384.
Know the drill: Looks like it's shaping up to be a busy summer for the St. Charles North High School's award-winning drill teams.
On Sunday, varsity and junior varsity members will raise money to cover their annual travel expenses with a car wash from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at SS Auto Repair, 2010 W. Main St., at the intersection with Randall Road.
About eight weeks later, Aug. 18-21, the team puts on its seventh annual North Star Drill Team Dance Clinic at Bell-Graham Elementary School in St. Charles. The camp is open to anyone entering first through eighth grades in the coming school year.
Campers learn a variety of dance and sideline routines, get a T-shirt and are invited to perform at the annual St. Charles North Black and Blue scrimmage in August.
The cost for attending the three-day camp, which runs from 9 to 11:30 a.m., is $75. To register, call Peggy LeMaire at (630) 377-7994 or Lisa Pinto at (630) 584-5828.
Cover your assets: The Downtown St. Charles Partnership will have its next business development breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. June 10 at the Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St.
This session's topic is "Cover Your Assets: Protect Your Business from Uninsured Service Providers" by Mark J. Peterson, vice president of Pinnacle Insurance Agency in North Aurora.
The business development breakfasts are part of a regular series put on by the downtown partnership to promote good business practices in the area. Admission is free for partnership members and $20 for visitors.
To register, call (630) 513-5386.