The magic of donations

For three years, Jim Stanislawski organized a food drive offering magic in return for donations to continue work done by his daughter, Jackie.

The event was small, run by family and friends at a Wadsworth church.

Then, Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik came to watch the magic show last year. She told him the event belonged in Gurnee.

"It gives everyone in the community an opportunity to honor and respect the memory of Jackie, who is one of our own," Kovarik said.

Now thanks to a community and its high school, the event the family calls Jackie's Magic will take place Saturday at Warren Township High School O'Plaine campus auditorium, 500 N. O'Plaine Road, Gurnee.

The event honors Jackie Stanislawski, who was killed in a car accident in December 2003. The family discovered in the trunk of her car food that she has collected and planned to give to the needy.

"We knew we wanted to continue her efforts," he said.

The Stanislawski family will receive extra support to run the event this year from Warren Township High School, where Jackie graduated in 2001 and her brother Jimmy is a sophomore.

Leading the effort is Katie Schober, adviser of the school's Excel Club. Stanislawski said when he asked for volunteers, she recruited 50.

"I joked with her when I was in high school, I could never get 50 kids to volunteer for anything," he said.

Schober said students from the Excel club, the French club in which Jimmy is a member, and International Club will come out. They will direct crowds, sell raffle tickets, collect donations and weigh and sort food during the magic show.

Stanislawski said that with the mayor's help he has spoken with area clubs to generate support. So far, 21 businesses have donated items to be raffled off.

"The response has been much greater than I thought it would be," he said.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. when there will be raffles, balloon sculptors and other entertainment.

Guests will then be treated to a 90-minute magic show starting at 7 p.m. featuring performances by Stanislawski and seven other performers.

Among them are Marshall Brodien, who played Wizzo from Bozo's Circus, Magic Sam, Mark Holstein, Joe Diamond, the Balsters, Rob and Deb Ross and Chezaday.

"We have more people interested in joining the show than we have time for," he said. "And they all want to give up their whole day Saturday to do this and not get a dime for it."

After the show, there will be an autograph session, and raffle winners will be announced.

Stanislawski said they will provide an evening of entertainment. All guests need to provide are donations of food or cash.

"There are two good groups that will receive the benefits of what we are doing," he said.

All food will be given to the Warren Township Food Pantry. Schober said that throughout this week all classes at Warren also are collecting food to give toward the drive.

All money donated will go to the Warren transitional house, a program developed by the high school to teach life skills to children with developmental disabilities.

"It is just getting off the ground," he said. "We will be the first group to generate donations to get that going."

To see how much the food drive has grown, Stanislawski said Jackie would be excited and would want to be a part of this.

"She was a bubbly, active person. She was the people person. She would be the leader," he said. "I wish we would have started something like this when she was around."

If you go

What: Jackie's Magic

Where: Warren Township High School's O'Plaine campus, 500 N. O'Plaine Road, Gurnee

When: Doors open Saturday at 6 p.m., magic show begins at 7 p.m.

Admission: Non-perishable food items or cash donations