Algonquin neighbors lean on each other after tragic crash

Gail Kowalski and Missy Sherman can still feel their neighbors' pain.

Last fall, two Marian Central Catholic High School students were killed and two others were injured in a car accident as the group headed home from final exams.

The Grys family lost Alexander, 14, in the crash while Eva, a senior at the school, suffered multiple injuries.

Their car had collided with a dump truck on Haligus Road in Grafton Township.

Their neighbor William Schlau, a freshman at Marian Central, also was hurt in the accident.

All live in the tight-knit Tunbridge subdivision on Algonquin's west side.

"It's just so personal for all of us," Sherman said. "You know, our kids have grown up together.

"It just was so random and it could have happened to anyone, and we all recognize that," Sherman said.

Although the women didn't know Taylor Wozniak, 17, the Lake in the Hills girl killed in the accident, they sympathize with her family.

That's why they, and about a half-dozen other neighbors, have joined forces to raise money in hopes of covering Eva Grys's and William Schlau's medical expenses and establishing scholarships or memorial funds for Taylor Wozniak and Alex Grys.

"Needless to say, our neighborhood was really hit hard by it and we wanted to do something. So we decided to have a fundraiser," Kowalski said.

The event's theme is "Lean On Me," a song that stuck with Sherman after she heard it in church.

"We wanted to support these families and we were all looking for ways to make a contribution," Sherman said.

The fundraiser, scheduled for June 20 at the Golf Club of Illinois in Algonquin, includes a golf outing, car wash, and silent and live auctions.

They are asking people to donate cash and items they could use for auction, such as new items, time shares and frequent flier miles.

Golf sponsorship opportunities are still open and range from $250 to $5,000.

The golf outing begins at 1 p.m. and includes a goody bag, a barbecue buffet, door prizes, a golf cart and an hourlong open bar. It costs $125 per player.

The outing is followed by the silent auction that starts at 6 p.m. and a live auction, which kicks off at 8 p.m.

"It's a community-wide effort and we are hoping to draw people far from the high school and all the walks of life," Sherman said.

For details or to make a donation, send e-mail to gmkowalski55@comcast.net.