State Sen. Michael Bond, Grayslake

Despite battling a bout of the flu last week, state Sen. Michael Bond of Grayslake said he was excited about attending the inauguration.

It'll be the first presidential swearing in for the freshman senator, who campaigned for Obama last year.

"Many of us across the nation put in a lot of hard work to help Barack Obama win the election, so it's kind of the culmination of a lot of hard work," Bond said. "We realize the challenges we face are significant, but we believe that Barack Obama has the leadership skills to make good decisions and tough choices that get the economy back on track and begin to resolve the challenges we face abroad."

Mark and Marie Biersdorf, Grayslake | Andy Camargo, Arlington Heights