DeWyze parties cost Mount Prospect $40,000

Before the "American Idol" finale aired, Lee DeWyze was declared by some as the best thing ever for Mount Prospect.

Yet, his success also was expensive for Mount Prospect. It cost the village about $40,000 to throw its native son a parade May 14 and a viewing party a week-and-a-half later.

Village Manager Mike Janonis said it wasn't something officials could plan ahead for. "We didn't plan for it, we didn't ask for it and we couldn't stop it," he said

The local business community ended up helping save the day, pitching in about $20,000 in money and services. The portable toilets used for the viewing party were donated and the Blues Bar paid $5,000 to rent a Jumbotron for the night. Food vendors paid for their own tents, Janonis said.

The remaining $20,000 probably will come from a reserve account the village has for unplanned expenses.

The biggest cost was overtime for police and public work employees. Public works employees were cleaning up the Village Green until 2 a.m. the morning after the viewing party.

But looking back, it was worth it, Janonis said.

"Do I think this will make swarms of people want to live in Mount Prospect? No, not unless Lee becomes the next Beatles," Janonis said. "But it did bring the community together, and I think there will be lasting impacts from that."

And if the past is any indication, Mount Prospect officials should get used to talking about DeWyze, known nationally now as the 24-year-old former paint store clerk who is making the rounds on national talk shows before going on tour and recording his first album this summer.

Two years ago, Blue Springs, Mo., hosted a similar celebration for Idol alumnus David Cook. Residents are still talking about it, said Todd Pelham, Blue Springs' assistant city administrator.

"People still remember that David was from here," Pelham said. "They ask about him all the time."

Mount Prospect had just days to put together a parade May 14 - when DeWyze also stopped at former schools St. James and Forest View Alternative High School before ending the day in front of 41,000 fans at Arlington Park.

While track officials won't comment on what they spent or made on the sellout concert, not having to host the performance saved Mount Prospect thousands of dollars, Janonis said.

"I can't imagine how we would've handled that many people at Melas Park," he said.

Eleven days later, 3,000 people showed up to Mount Prospect's Village Green for the Idol finale May 25.

Despite the threat of rain, many arrived hours before the show to grab a hamburger and carve out a good spot in front of the Jumbotron. Neon "Vote for Lee" T-shirts and balloons were everywhere.

Capannari's Ice Cream alone sold about 1,000 scoops of ice cream, said Katie Dolan Dix, co-owner of the ice cream shop.

"We had to go to Plan B and run back to the shop to get more scoops," she said. "We ran out of the 800 scoops we brought by 8 p.m."

Besides costing the village a few extra bucks, Mount Prospect got some serious screen time when millions of television viewers watched DeWyze's hometown screaming and applauding his big win.

"The excitement generated by Lee's competing on 'American Idol' has multiple layers," said Mount Prospect Mayor Irvana Wilks said. "His choice of music speaks to hearts across generations. Each of us feels he is performing especially for us."

Cost: 'It did bring the community together'