Naperville park police set up Toys for Tots collection sites
The Naperville Park District’s Park Police have set up six collection sites where new and unwrapped toys can be dropped off through Dec. 14 for the annual Toys for Tots program.
Sites are located at the Naperville Park District Administration Building, 320 W. Jackson Ave.; Central Maintenance Facility, 427 Martin Ave., Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave.; Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Drive; Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Road; and Springbrook Golf Course Golf Shop, 2220 W. 83rd St.
Collection boxes are available inside building lobbies or vestibules during operating hours.
The toys will be donated to the 2024 DuPage County Toys for Tots program hosted by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Stuffed animals or toy weapons are not accepted.
Last year, the park district police effort collected 1,769 toys and was recognized as the largest donor in DuPage County.
Memorial service Sunday for columnist Hilary Decent
A memorial service for longtime Naperville Sun columnist Hilary Decent will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Congregation Beth Shalom, 772 W. 5th Ave., her family said.
A funeral service was held Tuesday in England, where she was born and lived prior moving to Naperville in 2007.
Decent, 67, died Oct. 15 after a short battle with cancer of the brain and spine.
In addition to writing for the Naperville Sun and Naperville magazine, she had been a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Naperville, active with the Congregation Beth Shalom, an advisory board member for the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts and previously did a show for NCTV17, Naperville’s local nonprofit TV station.
Decent is survived by her husband Ross, son Robin and daughter Abi Jane Davis.
Donations can be made to the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts in Decent’s honor, her family said.
Winter coat donations being taken for Cradles to Crayons
Naperville Bank of America at 1301 E. Ogden Ave. is accepting new or like-new winter coats and other winter essentials as part of Cradles to Crayons Chicago’s mission to provide 50,000 coats to children in need this winter.
The bank’s donation unit will be set up in its parking lot for donations through February. No large toys or furniture should be dropped off.
Cradles to Crayons Chicago has paired up with several businesses and organizations throughout the Chicago area as part of its “Gear Up for Winter” initiative. The nonprofit is seeking coats in all sizes as well as other winter items, such as hats, gloves, boots and warm clothing.
It will distribute the donations through its network of more than 70 partners, including schools, community organizations and city agencies, a news release said. Items will help children across the Chicago area who are low income, homeless or in crisis situations, organizers said.
The cost of children’s clothing has increased by nearly 12% since January 2020, which puts added strain on already-struggling families, the release said. Chicago has seen a 14% increase in the number of people staying in homeless shelters.
Items also can be purchased for the effort through the Cradles to Crayon’s wish list on Amazon. Monetary donations are accepted online at www.cradlestocrayons.org/chicago.
