Sign up now for team-building challenge

Elgin officials are gearing up for the fifth annual Youth Scholarship Team Challenge on Nov. 12, an event that turns the Centre into an arena of challenges spanning the track, pool and even climbing wall.

"It spreads out all over the Centre," said Randy Reopelle, director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department. "People get into it. Besides being for a good cause, it's a really good team-building activity."

Proceeds from the event, which runs from 5 to 10 p.m., go into a fund that provides opportunities for underprivileged youths to participate in parks and recreation programs.

The deadline for teams of up to 12 people to register is Oct. 15 and registration is limited to 10 teams.

The team entry fee is $350 and event sponsorships are $150 each.

Officials also are seeking donations and gift certificates for prizes and raffles.

Twelve events are on tap, including: track relay, aqualand obstacle course, tug-of-war, dodgeball and a climbing wall challenge.

New events this year include watermelon water relay, minute to win it events, paper airplane javelin, and brain teaser trivia. Teams and sponsors can also compete in raising money for the scholarship fund through private donations.

Paul Bednar, park development coordinator with the city, plans to compete with a team of co-workers.

"It sounds like a bunch of fun. Any time you can have fun, raise money for a scholarship program that helps a lot of kids, that's extra incentive for me to get involved," he said. "We're looking forward to it."

Last year's event raised about $4,000 for the fund and the goal this time is $5,000.

For information, call (847) 531-7018 or visit cityofelgin.org to download an application form.

Congrats: A "job well done" goes out to St. Laurence School of Elgin and Fox Meadow Elementary School of South Elgin, winners in the small and large categories for Gail Borden Public Library's summer reading program.

St. Laurence finished tops of schools with enrollment of 499 or less and 19.71 percent of the school's student body finished the program.

At Fox Meadow, which was in the category of 500 or more students, 11.06 percent of students finished.

Nearly 7,000 people last summer, an-all time high for the library, signed up for the "Be a Hero: Read," summer reading program at the Gail Borden Public Library District.

Another award: Sherman Health was the recent recipient of the 2009 Jack Shales Spirit of Community Award, presented given by the United Way of Elgin.

The award was created in 2004 to recognize and honor Shales' 50 years of volunteer service to the United Way of Elgin and it is given an organization in recognition of its corporate responsibility and community involvement.

"Our mission is to make a positive difference through outstanding health care and service-every life, every moment, every day," said Rick Floyd, president and CEO of Sherman Health. "We continually seek to strengthen the communities we serve by supporting local programs and by offering many services at an economic loss. We are honored to receive this award from the United Way of Elgin."