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Benld Italian-American Days’ Schedule

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The Italian Club of Benld would like to invite everyone to their celebration of the 58th Annual Italian-American Days Festival on May 27, 28, 29, and 30th at the Benld City Park in Benld, Illinois. The festival is known throughout the state of Illinois for its Italian foods and games.

The weekend begins with armbands on Friday evening, May 27th, from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. where anyone may ride as often as they like for $18. From 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., Agent 99 will provide music for your dancing pleasure.

Saturday May 28th Education Station pre-school is sponsoring a 5K/10K run at the Benld City Ball field. Price is $20 which will include a t-shirt for those that have pre-registered along with a drink/snack for post race participants. Pre-registration ends on May 10th. Entry Forms are available at the Education Station website www.educationstationpreschool.net After the race, food will be available for purchase, i.e. pork burgers, soda, etc..

Saturday evening, May 28th music will be provided by from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m by the Men in Heat Horns band.

Sunday, May 29th is the highlight of the weekend. Beginning at 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., one ton of free spaghetti will be served at the park’s lunch stand. Musical entertainment will be provided by the Bagna Caulda Combo from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Avery Hill will follow from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Following the Avery Hill band, the Smash band will provide music from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Also on Sunday afternoon from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., armbands for all rides will be available for $18. The Bocce Ball Tournament will be played on Sunday starting at 1:00 p.m. Registration begins at 12:00 noon at the beer tent.

Monday, May 30th is the last day of the event and armbands will again be available from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. for $18.

Bingo will be played every night beginning at 7:00 p.m., except Monday when Bingo will be begin at 1:00 p.m. The fish stand will open each evening after 4:30 p.m.

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Italian Specialties including tortellini soup, homemade Italian salami, meatball sandwiches, bagna caulda, and spumoni ice cream will be sold.

Throughout the weekend, there will be plenty of food, rides, drinks, and fun. Come out and celebrate 58 years of Italian heritage. We’ll see you Memorial Day weekend!

Benld is located 50 miles south of Springfield, Illinois and 45 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri on Illinois 138, two miles west of Interstate 55. If you have any questions, call 217-835-2689.

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Madison donates to food pantry and sponsoring toy drive

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Madison employee, Lexy Horton delivered food items to the Staunton Helping Hands Center volunteer Lori Semanik.

During their Employee Appreciation Week celebration in October, the employees at Madison were challenged to donate non-perishable items for the local food pantries as part of a team bonding exercise.

The Madison employees collected a total of 10 milk crates and multiple boxes of food. The items were then divided evenly between the Mt. Olive Care Center, the Bunker Hill Food Pantry, and the Staunton Helping Hands Center. These donations are just a small part of Madison’s commitment to care for the communities that they serve.

Along with donating to the local food pantries, Madison is also sponsoring the Community Hope Center’s Christmas Toy Drive once again. Please help spread the love to a child for Christmas by donating a new and unwrapped toy for girls and boys ages 0-12.

Toys will be accepted anytime until December 6th in their main office lobby located at 21668 Double Arch Road in Staunton.

To learn more about Madison’s services call 800-422-4848 or visit gomadison.com.

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Fifth grade elementary students decorate pumpkins as fundraiser for Project Kid Kare

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The fifth grade at Ben-Gil Elementary recently had a pumpkin decorating contest as a fundraiser to help support Project Kid Kare. The fifth grade students decorated a pumpkin as an activity with their parents during a Parent Involvement Day.

Each of the classes’ pumpkins were displayed on tables. All the students in the school could vote for their favorite table of pumpkins using spare change. The table that received the most money votes, won the contest.

Students were able to vote multiple times for their favorite table using change or $1 bills. The fifth grade students raised a total of $334.37 and donated the proceeds to Project Kid Care. This act of kindness will bring smiles to many faces of the students in school. Project Kid Kare helps students in the CUSD #7 who are unable to purchase school supplies each year.

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Oberkfell claims victory at State Cross Country championship

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Chaz Oberkfell (archived photo/TheBenGilPost.com)

In a stunning display of athletic prowess and determination, Chaz Oberkfell, a junior at Gillespie High School, crossed the finish line first at the 2024 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 1A State Cross Country Championships, securing his victory with an impressive time and personal best of 14:31.9.

Rounding out the top five was senior Nicolai Martino of Winnebago (14:33.9), senior Gabriel McLain of Benton (14:33.9), sophomore Maxwell Kirby of Peoria Notre Dame (14:47.7), and senior Andrew Kurien of Rockford Christian (14:54.8).

The championship race, held at the scenic Detweiller Park, drew competitors from across the state, all vying for the coveted title. Oberkfell showcased his exceptional talent and training and was in second place before securing the first place spot toward the end of the race.

Oberkfell’s victory is a testament to his relentless dedication and the support of his coaches and teammates. Throughout the season, he has consistently demonstrated remarkable speed and endurance, often finishing races well ahead of his competitors.

The Gillespie community turned out in full force to support the team with many friends, family members, and fellow students cheering the team on Friday morning when the team bus was escorted through town and again on the sidelines Saturday morning. The triumph victory not only highlights Oberkfell’s personal achievements but also brings recognition to Gillespie High School’s cross country program. The team has shown tremendous growth over the past few years, and this victory is a significant milestone.

Also representing Gillespie in the state championship race were Carter Sies (16:59.4), Marshall Garwood (17:03.3), Hank Fletcher (17:15.4), Nolan Hostettler (17:23.9), Matthew Plovich (17:37.4), and Lucca Kapp (17:40.1).

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