Good News Sunday: Area Rotary Club volunteers partner to pack 22,000 meals for Ukrainian refugees

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

With music playing and volunteers dancing, members of seven local Rotary Clubs came together recently at the Salvation Army in Elgin to pack 22,000 meals for Ukrainian refugees.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with members of the Carpentersville club, Olha Krushelnytska smiled. Krushelnytska, 25, moved to the United States with her husband two years ago. Her parents and most of her family still live in Ukraine or have fled to neighboring countries.

"I'm very glad to be here and help however I can, and it makes me feel so good to see everyone here wanting to help, too," Krushelnytska said. "It wasn't that long ago that when I told people I was from Ukraine, they'd ask, 'Where's that?'"

Krushelnytska joined a Rotarian co-worker from First American Bank to help out on the assembly line, packing meals that will be sent to Poland to help feed the more than 1.5 million refugees that have flooded in from Ukraine.

The seven Rotary Clubs donated $1,100 each and worked with The Outreach Program and their local affiliate Feed6 to build the meals.

The Outreach Program is an Iowa-based group whose mission is to provide safe water, food, medical care and education to those in need at home and abroad. Convoy of Hope will pay to have the food shipped to Europe.

For the full story, click here.

Grayslake volunteers work to get rid of invasive buckthorn

Eradicating a tenacious invasive plant and expanding efforts to help where needed has become a mission for a newly formed Grayslake-based volunteer group.

Finding buckthorn during a routine landscape assessment about a year ago, Michael Canino had no clue what it was or how pervasive the shrub can be. Until he began researching it, Canino didn't know it can prevent spring flowers, oak seedlings and other plants from growing by shading them out.

"I was ignorant back then," Canino said. "It's eye-opening."

Buckthorn can grow up to 22 feet and release a chemical called emodin from every part of the plant, which is bad for the soil and wildlife, experts say.

Noticing that buckthorn was an issue at Lexington Woods Park across the street from his home, Canino founded Uncommon Buckthorn, a volunteer group to contribute where it could.

"Individual citizens can do a lot of good work," Canino said. "I'm trying to do my little part."

For the full story, click here.

Project Fire Buddies pairs Buffalo Grove firefighters with ill kids

Being a first responder these days means more than rushing to a fire or reviving a patient in cardiac arrest.

It also means getting directly involved in the lives of people in their communities.

Buffalo Grove's firefighters soon will enhance those efforts with the launch of a local chapter of Project Fire Buddies, which teams first responders with children battling pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses.

Fire Buddies firefighters make the children honorary firefighters, visit them at home, play games, read books and make them feel appreciated.

Kurt DeGroot, an Oak Forest firefighter and the group's founder and CEO, and Buffalo Grove firefighter/paramedic Mike Manka, who spearheaded the local effort, shared the organization's mission with the Buffalo Grove village board last week.

DeGroot said there are now 42 children in the program, along with 20 chapters and another 32 ready to come on board.

For the full story, click here.

Olympic skaters return home to help inspire the next generation

Olympic speed skater Ethan Cepuran and three teammates greeted fans and supporters, and shared some keys to their success, during a visit Sunday to his hometown of Glen Ellyn.

Cepuran, a 2018 Glenbard West High School graduate who won a bronze medal at the Beijing Games in February, was joined by speedskating colleagues Austin Kleba, 22, of Campton Hills; Andrew Heo, 21, of Warrington, Pennsylvania; and Emery Lehman, 25, from Oak Park.

Their visit to the B.R. Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County was part of the U.S. Speedskating Tour of Olympians Driven by Toyota, which included a second stop Sunday in Glenview.

The midday event in DuPage County included a question-and-answer session, plus photo opportunities for families and fans.

"There's no point in doing a sport if you can't inspire the next generation," said Cepuran, who is leaving the door open for a possible Olympic return in 2026. "Winning the medal was amazing, but you get to relive that moment every time you share it with a kid."

For the full story, click here.

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