Mike Childress, Bloomingdale
Mike Childress is a man who prepares. The 52-year-old telephone company customer service manager from Bloomingdale had two options in place to make the trip to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration, he's bringing three digital cameras and began packing two weeks ago.
Childress said history is the driving force behind his desire to make the trip, but it's also the payoff for a lot of work.
"This is the first presidential election that I was really actively involved in as a precinct committeeman where I went around knocking on a lot of doors to get our message our," he said. Childress left with a tour group of 100 people at 4 p.m. Monday.
They'll stand together along the parade route near the stage, then get back on the two buses and be back in Illinois Wednesday. "It's just a matter of being a part of history," he said. "And if I'm lucky enough to be standing next to Oprah, she can throw her head on my shoulder."