Bear family host ribbon cutting at the South Elgin McDonald's

The new South Elgin McDonald's, 100 N. McLean Blvd., celebrated their grand reopening with a ribbon-cutting, cake-cutting, and VIP party on Monday night, Oct. 23.

The event was standing room only at McDonald's. David Bear, owner-operator, is proud to bring a new, upscale McDonald's to the South Elgin community. This new restaurant will be enjoyed for years to come. The new McDonald's has an expanded dining room, self-order kiosks, mobile-ordering, table service and a state of the art kitchen. It is exactly what South Elgin McDonald's lovers have been waiting for.

At the VIP party, David Bear welcomed friends, colleagues, village employees, Elgin Area Chamber members, and representatives from the local schools for a special grand reopening VIP event.

The night began with a presentation made by the local Cub Scout Pack 251 which is led by Cubmaster Ryan Byrne and Assistant Cubmaster Stephanie Haehnel. The boys presented the colors and then recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The first speakers were state Rep. Anna Moeller, and Michelle Meyers, legislative aide to state Rep. Steve Andersson. They presented David Bear with a special recognition from the Illinois 100th General Assembly House of Representatives. The award recognized David Bear and the Bear Family McDonald's for their long history of being active and socially responsible members of every community they have served over the past 50 years.

Village President Steve Ward also spoke at the event and told David how thrilled they are to have him in the community and that he has helped them put South Elgin on the map. Also in attendance were many village trustees, all of the Elgin Area Chamber members, and many more South Elgin community's VIPs.

Additional speakers at the event included the following: Jim Carras, McDonald's Chicago Region general manager; Sjoukje Brown, principal of Fox Meadow Elementary School; Amanda Clark, principal of Corron Elementary School; Marcelle Bear, mother of David Bear, and the owner himself, David Bear.

Marcelle Bear, David Bear's mother, an Elgin-area native, expressed great pride in the way her son has given back to the community. "McDonald's is his life," she said.

David Bear spoke about how special South Elgin is to him as well. David talked about the experience he wants everyone to have at his restaurants. It is his top priority to impress every guest.

Sjoukje Brown, principal of Fox Meadow School, said "I am very thankful for the generosity and community partnership our school has with the Bear Family". She also said with the help of the Bear family and their McTeacher's Nights, her school has raised $1,949.10 over the past three years and the money has gone directly back to the classrooms.

Amanda Clark, principal of Corron Elementary School, told the crowd that this McDonald's is an integral part of every family's life. She said that the McTeacher's Night is one of the most memorable events for the staff, parents, and community. She said the generosity of Mr. Bear goes above-and-beyond, reaching their school. McTeacher's Night have allowed them to purchase a variety of different nonfiction texts for kids to read in school and to send home to read with their parents. The event featured complimentary McDonald's appetizers, smoothies and, of course, cake. The event also featured special appearances by Ronald McDonald and Gus T. Bull from the Windy City Bulls.

For future events with the South Elgin McDonald's, contact Julie Travers, South Elgin McDonald's community relations director, at julie.travers@comcast. You can also visit the Bear Family website at www.bearfamilyrestaurants.com.