Naperville, Illinois

Aid for rebuilding Pass Christian, Miss., got a big boost from the members of the Rotary Club of Naperville and Naperville Rotary Charities last Thursday.

A quick auction run by Rotarian Ray Kinney raised in excess of $15,000 at the club's weekly meeting, and a grant by Naperville Rotary Charities hauled in another $15,000 — making the total raised at the lunch more than $30,000.

Rotarians donated a number of interesting items — autographed baseballs, tickets to a Cubs/Sox game, dinner for 20 at such fine establishments as Meson Sabika and Raffi's, for instance — and other members, under the prodding of Kinney, generously shelled out a lot of dough to buy them.

Mayor George Pradel learned not to raise his hand during an auction when Kinney, while in the middle of auctioning an expensive item, greeted the mayor who was sitting near the door. The mayor waved his hand in response and Kinney said that Pradel had just made a bid. Fortunately for the mayor, the bids kept spiraling upward afterwards.

The money will be donated to Naperville Responds, a group that is raising funds to help rebuild Pass Christian, a Gulf town that was 85 percent destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed.

Dr. D.H. Short, a cardiac surgeon who is the current president of the Rotary Club of Pass Christian, talked about efforts to rebuild the town and described how he has been visiting Rotary clubs up north to enlist their aid.

For information about Naperville Responds and its plan to build houses in Pass Christian, visit the organization's Web site at www.napervilleresponds.org .

One is the Naperville Jaycees' Mardi Gras, with the proceeds from that event's silent auction going to the restoration of Pass Christian.

Ever since Hurricane Katrina swept away most of the homes and much of the infrastructure in Pass Christian, Miss., Kenny Welch has been working 14- to 16- hour days.

While he and his coworkers work toward restoring electrical service to the area, a nonprofit, Naperville-based group, Naperville Responds, is pulling together contributions to rebuild houses in the small, coastal town.

“Our house was completely destroyed. We all evacuated. We had 35 feet of water in the house,” Welch said Sunday, as he stood just outside Jimmy’s Grill in downtown Naperville where a group of about 100 well-wishers gathered to officially kick-off a fundraising campaign.

Joined by his wife and two of their grandchildren, Welch said the family is temporarily living in a trailer “about five minutes from where we actually live.”

A 57-year resident of Pass Christian, Welch said Katrina was even more devastating than Hurricane Camille, a 1969 storm.

Katrina wiped out 85 percent of the homes in Pass Christian, said Ron Wehrli, who heads up Naperville Responds with attorney Bill Brestal.

As the owner of Crestview Builders, that kind of destruction resonated with him, Wehrli said, prompting him and Brestal to establish Naperville Responds.

“We kind of narrowed it down to four or five towns where we could rebuild and people didn’t have insurance,” he said.

The town’s plight prompted Mayor George Pradel to bestow Sister City status on Pass Christian. Pradel was on hand for Sunday’s kick-off, which featured a group photo shot from atop the Barnes and Noble bookstore.

Wehrli said 20 to 30 pre-fabricated houses will be shipped to Pass Christian. He said he’s hopeful that the homes will be ready by early summer.

A tree decorated with ornaments that represent donations will remain standing in front of Jimmy’s Grill until Feb. 15, said Patti Roberts, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance.

Large ornaments represent $1,000 donations; small ornaments represent donations of from $10 to $1,000, she said. The angel at the top of the tree represents a $25,000 donation made by Ryan Hill Realty and Marquette Companies.

All funds, Wehrli said, will go directly to the home-building effort. He said a committee of Pass Christian community members will determine which families will receive the donated homes.

The Welch family doesn’t yet know if they will be one of the lucky families to receive a house, but they are committed to rebuilding their community.

“We’re all planning on building our homes back. With the help of you people, we know it’s going to be done,” Kenny Welch said.

It may sound simple, but Kenny hasn't had a lot to smile about lately. Yet as the Pass Christian, Miss., resident listened to Naperville residents and city leaders singing a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him in front of Jimmy's Grill on Sunday, all he could do was grin and laugh a little.

Welch and his family lost their home and everything in it when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast this summer. He worked 16- to 18-hour days for the Mississippi Power Company in the days following to help cut through debris and repair power lines for the coastal community's residents, who hoped to see some sort of normalcy sooner rather than later.

Kenny, his wife, Debra, and their grandchildren Dearius, 15, and Derriana, 10, were chosen by Pass Christian leaders to head to Illinois for Naperville Responds Day on Sunday.

Local residents and leaders gathered near Washington Street and Chicago Avenue to sign giant greeting cards for Pass Christian residents, listen to instrumental renditions of Christmas carols and hang fundraiser ornaments on the tree in front of Jimmy's Grill.

"It's overwhelming," Kenny Welch said as he looked at the crowd, many anxious to say hello and offer words of encouragement. "(Pass Christian residents) know a little about it. When we get back, they'll know a lot about it."

Welch and his family, as representatives of Naperville's new sister city, accepted a $25,000 check from Jack Persin of Ryan Hill Reality. The local business purchased the star at the top of the tree that holds all the fundraising ornaments for that amount.

He had the chance to take the Welch family to breakfast and to worship at St. Raphael Catholic Church earlier in the day.

The giant tagboard cards, decorated with a cartoonlike version of the real tree on which the Naperville Responds ornaments hang, were soon filled with messages from community members walking down the street. Some ranged from a simple "Merry Christmas" or "We're thinking of you" to "All happiness as your town is resurrected" to "We are all one big family now and will not forget you."

"I just felt in this time of need with these people we need to show that the holiday spirit is still somewhat intact," said Adam Maloof, a Naperville man who was out for a walk with his girlfriend, Celina Whittal, when they stopped to sign the cards.

A community picture was taken from the top of Barnes & Noble by photographers Rick Wagner and Jeffery Ross. After the group photo and check passing, Mayor George Pradel enthusiastically addressed the crowd.

Debra Welch said it was difficult to deal with the loss of their house, which once stood a block from the beach. Now she and her husband sleep in a trailer provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and are more concerned with making sure Dearius, Derriana and their parents have a home before they rebuild theirs.

Kenny said when the family returns to Mississippi, Debra will make a presentation to the Pass Christian City Council about Naperville Responds and their weekend in Illinois.

Derriana, a fifth-grader who is now back in school with most of her friends, enjoyed seeing snow for the first time and didn't really know what to say about all the attention from Napervillians.

It was the kindness of strangers, the warmth she felt from people as far away as Naperville, that finally made her break down.

Welch, her husband, Kenneth, and their family will say a personal “thank you” to Naperville residents this weekend at a celebration to honor a new Sister City relationship with their hometown, Pass Christian, Miss.

Naperville leaders hope to raise $2.5 million to rebuild 20 homes in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast town of about 6,500.

So far, the group has raised about $175,000, with all funds going directly to the effort, said attorney Bill Brestal, who founded Naperville Responds. Administrative costs have been donated.

Guests can sign greeting cards to Pass Christian residents and are encouraged to buy Sister City ornaments for a minimum donation of $10. They’ll assemble for a photo on Jackson Avenue shortly before 4 p.m.

“I just know Naperville has a big heart and that people will be there to show Pass Christian we care,” Brestal said. “(Photographers) will be on top of Barnes & Noble and we want to fill up all of Jackson street greeting our new Sister City.”

They were staying with relatives in DeLisle, Miss., when the hurricane struck. The group joined hands and prayed as the water reached up to a foot high around them, she said.

“It takes faith nowadays to get to the next day,” Welch said. “I don’t know the words to use anymore. Again, the Lord is looking out for everyone and making a way.”

In the spirit of the holiday season, join organizers of Naperville Responds for a special ceremony at 3:30 PM, Sunday, December 11, at the Giving Tree located in front of Jimmy’s Grill, Washington at Jackson.

With generous assistance from many of Naperville’s business leaders, associations and residents, Naperville Responds, a recently organized 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, is helping to rebuild the devastated community, a five-year commitment for starters.

Just prior to the brief ceremony at 4 PM, an all-community photo is scheduled, with lineup beginning at 3:30 PM organizers hope to fill Jackson Street between Washington and Main to showcase support for the hurricane survivors and community spirit. The photo will be sent to Pass Christian, Mississippi, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, to show Naperville's outpouring of support to help rebuild families, community and hope.

Festivities also will include a holiday sing-along and a chance to sign a giant Christmas card with seasonal greetings of goodwill and encouragement.

100% of all proceeds from fundraising efforts will be applied toward rebuilding the Pass Christian Community in Mississippi. The goal is to raise $2.5 million to help build 20 new homes.

The group intends to raise funds not only to rebuild homes but to rebuild lives and the community they once enjoyed, said Bill Brestal, who is leading the all-volunteer initiative with Ron Wehrli.

If every resident in Naperville were to donate $10, Naperville Responds could raise $1.4 million. Already $175,000 has been pledged or donated.

Naperville Responds is looking to make some positive changes on the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, and they're using the holiday season to kick off fundraising efforts.

On Sunday the group hopes to get as many Naperville residents as possible down to Jackson Avenue and Washington Street starting at 3:15 p.m. for what co-chair Bill Brestal calls a "Naperville photo opportunity."

"There will be a photographer on the top of Barnes and Noble," he said, adding people will be in front of the Christmas tree by Jimmy's Grill for the picture, decorating the tree or holding up the snowflake ornaments the group is selling to raise money for new sister city Pass Christian, Miss.

A little bit of Pass Christian will make its way north to Naperville when the Welch family — a grandmother, grandfather and two grandchildren who lost everything in Katrina, according to Brestal — will visit the city starting today and be on hand for what has been deemed "Naperville Responds Day" through a City Council resolution Tuesday.

Brestal said business windows will be adorned with large cards that residents can sign with wishes for the people of Pass Christian. He said the cards will then be sent to the coastal Mississippi community.

Fundraising ornaments are on sale at City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and Brestal's law office. He said there is a $10 minimum donation when purchasing the snowflake-shaped decoration, although donations are accepted in any amount above that.

Brestal said Ryan Hill Realty has donated $25,000 for the angel that will top the tree and 25 larger ornaments are available for a $1,000 price.

Even the decorations will help bridge the miles between the two cities. Brestal said the decorations will come down on Feb. 15 and be boxed and shipped to Pass Christian so they can be used on a tree there next year. A "Christmas Box" will also be at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Washington Street for donations.

Such is the feeling shared by a group of Naperville business leaders, associations and residents who successfully teamed up to bring hurricane-ravaged Pass Christian, Miss., under the umbrella of sister cityhood.

A proclamation by Mayor George Pradel at tonight's City Council meeting will announce the new relationship, putting Pass Christian on a domestic par with Naperville's international sister, Nitra, Slovakia.

The difference in this case is the mission, as outlined by Naperville Responds. The organization, founded by lawyer Bill Brestal, has set as its mission the building of relationships, homes and a partnership, according to Rich Mikolajczyk, a member of the Naperville Responds committee and the Sister Cities Commission.

"I think what (Pass Christian residents) appreciate about us is that we're in this for the long haul," Mikolajczyk said. "By making them a sister city, we're saying that we're not just going to throw some money your way and say we did what we could and we're out of there. We're saying this is a long-term commitment and you will be designated our domestic sister city, and we look forward in the years to come to establishing strong ties with you."

To that end, the group's task is to raise $2.5 million to rebuild the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The group will start by building 20 prefabricated homes for Pass Christian residents.

"It's a massive undertaking, but the people there just have a can-do attitude," Mikolajczyk said. "They say, 'We are going to rebuild this town. It might not be the same as it was, but it will be as good, because we're going to provide strong leadership down there.'"

With a motto of Bridging Two Communities, the new initiative seeks volunteers to join committees on the recently established foundation to help plan ways to assist in rebuilding the small community of Pass Christian, Miss., a town virtually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Already many Naperville residents have visited Pass Christian. Pictures on a photo CD provided by Tom Burns of St. Raphael’s church show devastation that I still can t even imagine exists in the United States.

Attorney Bill Brestal, leader of Naperville Responds, suggests trying to imagine debris filling an area the size of a football field. Then imagine the debris 42 stories high.

The group of Naperville s business leaders, associations and residents organized by Brestal with the help of Ron Wehrli already has a five-year action plan. The plan is focused yet flexible, and the group is eager for innovative ideas to help provide hope for thousands of survivors who lost nearly all their life s possessions three months ago.

The group (a long list of members is posted at www.napervilleresponds.org) has launched a campaign to raise $2.5 million to help build 20 new single family homes. Pass Christian will be Naperville s domestic Sister City and the campaign is focused on an ongoing exchange between

In the spirit of the holiday season, a brief special event is planned for Naperville Responds on Dec. 11 in downtown Naperville.

The festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Jackson Avenue between Washington and Main streets with a family holiday sing-along and a gathering for an all-community group photo.

A tree lighting and a special gift from Nick Ryan of Ryan Hill Realty will be presented at the Giving Tree by Jimmy s Grill at 4 p.m. Brestal said a family from Pass Christian has been invited to attend to help launch the initiative.

Organizers hope to fill Jackson Avenue from Washington to Main streets with holiday revelers for the community photo they ll use the photo to help raise awareness for the continuing commitment.

To highlight the slogan, Bridging Two Communities, Brestal showed attendees at last week s meeting a snowflake-shaped ornament. He said Ray Kinney of MinuteMan Press donated 1,000 ornaments with a photo of one of the Riverwalk covered bridges to symbolize the cooperative

The ornaments, which can either grace your Christmas tree or the Naperville Responds Giving Tree, sell for $10 and 100 percent goes to the fundraiser. You can purchase the ornaments at the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, MinuteMan Press, Roseland Home Decor and Brestal’s office, 123 Water St., and more sites will be announced.

Brestal also announced that Mary Ann Junkroski of Roseland Home Decor had volunteered to provide window treatments at cost for the homes after they’re built. And Naperville Responds already has received $75,000 in pledges.

Brestal has visions that every resident will donate a minimum of $10 and that could raise $1.4 million. Local businesses will be tapped to help raise the difference.

If you want to send a donation in any amount, send it to: Naperville Responds in care of Bill Brestal, 123 Water St., Naperville, IL 60540.

Listening to some folks from Pass Christian, Miss., on Tuesday in the Naperville City Council Chambers, it was tough for some of us to keep our emotions in check.

This may be one of the few times that the word "devastated" doesn't even begin to bring to mind what happened in that town of 7,000.

While those of us here are contemplating the coming of Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas, and how we are going to cook a turkey and trim a Christmas tree, residents of Pass Christian are wondering when they are going to have a home again.

Some 75 percent of the houses were destroyed in the hurricane and the floods that followed. Ninety-nine percent of the downtown area is gone, and business is practically nonexistent.

Wal-Mart gets a lot of bad press these days, but the Wal-Mart that was destroyed in Pass Christian had provided city government with a huge amount of both sales tax and property tax. While people in other parts of the country are fighting having a Wal-Mart in their town, residents of Pass Christian are praying that this one is rebuilt.

But what happened to the southern part of our country this hurricane season would be as if one of those tornadoes took out northern Illinois, including Chicago, and for good measure destroyed buildings and claimed lives in Wisconsin and Indiana, as well.

And listening to the four-man delegation from Pass Christian who came to Naperville earlier this week, one is proud of Americans who are doing their best to bring their town back — but it's going to take time, and they are going to need a lot of help.

A new local organization, Naperville Responds, is pledging to raise money in the hopes of replacing at least 20 of the homes, occupied mostly by Pass Christian's poorer residents, that were lost to the storm. The organization's large board of directors includes representatives from all of Naperville, including yours truly. One part of the plan is to have local school district people work with school district people in Pass Christian, librarians to work with librarians, firemen to work with firemen, and so forth, in order to determine what the most pressing needs are and how Naperville can help.

Money to build housing will be raised through various fundraisers in the coming year, as well as by the most basic fundraising method of all — asking people to donate.

This year's city Christmas tree will be decorated with ornaments, costing $10 each, that people will be asked to buy and have hung on the tree. The back of the ornament will have the name of the donor.

Homes may begin being built as soon as next spring or summer, and for people who right now are living in tents and campers, that can't start to happen soon enough.

I'm going to be plugging this effort in this column periodically so you don't forget about it as you go about your well-housed lives in Naperville, so please donate.

We were told by the folks from Pass Christian that on a per capita basis, Mississippi is a leading state in charitable giving.