POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony to be held in O’Fallon

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

▪ Habitat for Humanity family orientation session: The O’Fallon Area Habitat for Humanity is seeking an O’Fallon area family that wants to turn the dream of home ownership into a reality. Family selection for the O’Fallon home will take place soon. Building begins spring 2018. Public information sessions for prospective applicants will be held in September. During the orientation, you will learn more about Habitat for Humanity, the homes we build, how to qualify, and the application process. To obtain an application, you must attend a one-hour orientation session on one of the following dates: Thursday, Sept. 14; Wednesday, Sept. 20; or Wednesday, Sept. 27. All the sessions start at 7 p.m. and will be held at the O’Fallon Public Safety Building, 285 N. Seven Hills Road. he O’Fallon Area Lewis and Clark Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that works with low-income families to build houses. Families are selected according to the following criteria: need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner. For additional information or questions: Call Karen at 618-670-6632 or email kshees@aol.com.

▪ Hope for Heroes quarter auction: Hope for Heroes program of Xi Chi Chapter 5456 of ESA International will be conducting a quarter auction fundraiser Sept. 14 at the Collinsville VFW, 1234 Vandalia St. in Collinsville. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the auction will start at 7. There will be a Chinese, silent, and oral auction during the event along with 50-50 drawing. The cost is $20 for All-In paddles or $5 for single paddles. Bring in any two items found on the needs list located at at hope-for-heroes.com/H4H-Backpack-list.htm and receive an additional paddle. (Limit four paddles). Funds raised will be used to offset the cost of shipping items to deployed military members stationed Afghanistan, Iraq, surrounding Middle East areas and returning Wounded Warriors. The group is all volunteers with no paid staff. All funds go into the program. For more information or large donations, contact Chip Shaffer, Hope for Heroes program coordinator, at 618-567-5315 or email grumman3@icss.net. All donations are tax deductible.

▪ Blood Drive: The O’Fallon Kiwanis Club is sponsoring an American Red Cross blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the O’Fallon Public Safety Building, 285 N. Seven Hills Road. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org and enter KiwanisOfallon. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

▪ Ticket deadline for O’Fallon Township Senior Committee: The O’Fallon Township Senior Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 at the O’Fallon Township Building, 801 E. State St., for dinner and entertainment. The event is for O’Fallon Township residents only. Tickets are $3. Deadline to purchase tickets is Sept. 15. Tickets are available at the township office.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

▪ POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony: The Scott POW/MIA Council will hold its 26th annual POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony at VFW Post 805, 221 W. First St. in O’Fallon, on Saturday, Sept. 16. Each year, the council invites former prisoners of war (POWs) and their family members living in the St. Louis metro and metro-east areas, along with leaders from both Scott Air Force Base and the local community to honor those who were held as POWs, as well as those who are still listed as missing. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and lasts approximately one hour. A complementary barbecue for guests begins at 11 a.m. Expected attendance at the event is approximately 300.

▪ Cedarhurst concert: Cedarhurst Assisted Living of Shiloh is hosting a free event open to the public. A “Farewell to Summer” outdoor concert will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Cedarhurst, 429 S. Main St., weather permitting. The concert will feature the “Alleykats” five-piece band. For more information, call 618-622-9890 and ask for activities.

▪ Shiloh schools 5K: Shiloh School District 85 is hosting its 3rd annual Shiloh Schools 5K run/walk fundraiser at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at Shiloh Middle School, 1 Wildcat Crossing. The Kids fun run will start at 9:30 a.m. for 10-year-olds and younger for a  1/2 mile race. From 4-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15 is the register packet pickup period. All proceeds go to funding Shiloh schools’ after school running program. Cost on race day to participate is $25 and checks can be made out to Shiloh School District 85. Award medals will be given to top three overall male and female finishers in the 5K, and all child participants will receive a medal. For more information contact Jami Richter at 618-632-7434, ext. 10 or jrichter@shi85.org.

▪ St. Clare Church Youth Group FUNDrive: Community members are invited to donate gently used clothing and household items at the St. Clare Church Youth Group’s FUNDrive, to be held Saturday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at St. Clare Church’s parking lot, 1411 Cross St. in O’Fallon. No advance drop offs will be accepted. The drive’s goal is to raise $2,000 in funds to support the Youth Group’s attendance at the National Catholic Youth Conference this fall. Acceptable donations include clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, books, and small household items (no furniture). All goods collected through the FUNDrive are sold to Savers, the parent company to great thrift stores like Value Village, Unique and Savers. They pay the group by the pound for every qualifying donation received. In turn, these items help keep their floors freshly stocked.

▪ Luncheon, shopping event to benefit O’Fallon Food Pantry: Grab your girlfriends and join in the first annual “Ladies Who Lunch,” a progressive luncheon at O’Fallon’s most unique gift and home décor shops! Local businesses, Kloss Furniture, Namely Yours, Fezziwig’s, Hollyhock House, Steven Mueller Florist, and Sweet Katie Bee’s, will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the O’Fallon Community Food Pantry. With your ticket, you will enjoy free food and exclusive shopping deals and discounts at each location. The event begins at Kloss Furniture on Saturday, Sept. 16 anytime between 10 a.m. and noon. From there, you will move from shop to shop at your own pace. At the end of the day, you will have the chance to win attendance prizes donated from each of the participating businesses. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased online at squareup.com/store/klossevents or $12 on the day of the event. The day of, tickets are only being sold at Kloss Furniture between 10 a.m. and noon.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 19

▪ O’Fallon Illinois Historical Society meeting: Col. John B. “Jack” Moelmann, USAF retired, agreed will host the O’Fallon Illinois Historical Society meeting at his home at 1015 Matthew Drive in O’Fallon at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19. OHS members will watch a silent movie comedy and hear Moelmann’s fantastic theater organ. His organ has 132 Speakers, 8 sets of Pipes, 18.5 Miles of Wiring, etc. and can produce many unique sounds. In 2008, Moelmann was inducted into the American Theatre Organ Society Hall of Fame and into the Theatre Organ Society International Hall of Fame. In 2009 he was officially appointed staff organist at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, and is also a staff organist at the Lincoln Theatre in Belleville, in addition to being organist at St Michael’s Episcopal Church in O’Fallon. A quick business meeting will start the meeting off. It’s also election night.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20

▪ Senior Citizens Club of O’Fallon meeting: The Senior Citizens Club of O’Fallon will meet at the Township Building, located at 801 East State St., on Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will consist of club business, celebration of birthdays, and raffle drawing. Handmade quilts will also be for sale. For details, contact the O’Fallon Township Office at 632-3517.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 21

▪ O’Fallon Toastmasters will help you conquer fear of public speaking: Do you dread speaking in front of others? If you do, you’re not alone. According to many surveys, speaking in public is one of the most common fears held by people. But you can conquer that fear, painlessly and enjoyably, by attending the Speechcraft program conducted by O’Fallon Toastmasters Club 994. The event will be Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., starting Sept. 21 and running through Nov. 9, at the O’Fallon Community Finanical Center, 800 S. Lincoln Ave. For more information, you can contact Aimee at 618-616-5994 visit the club’s website at ofallon.toastmastersclubs.org/speechcraft.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 22

▪ Saint Louis Cathedral Concerts to have event in O’Fallon: Saint Louis Cathedral Concerts, a nonprofit that brings world-class musical artists from around the world to St. Louis, has announced a concert date in O’Fallon as part of its fifth series of free chamber music concerts. St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 1411 Cross St. in O’Fallon, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. Performing will be Kristin Ahlstrom, violin; Bjorn Ranheim, cello; Tzuying Huang, clarinet; and Matthew Mazzoni, piano. Ahlstrom is the associate principal second violin in the Saint Louis Symphony. Ranheim is a cellist in the Saint Louis Symphony, a member of the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, as well as The 442s. Huang is a bass clarinet for Saint Louis Symphony, a member of the Banff Music Centre Orchestra, Young Artist Program of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. Mazzoni, director of Cathedral Concerts’ Chamber Music Series, is a solo and collaborative performing artist, recording artist, teacher and music director at Central Presbyterian Church in Clayton. Sponsored by Fontbonne University, the concert provides listeners around the St. Louis area with great musical works by Beethoven, Khatchaturian, and Mendelssohn. To view the full schedule of performers and dates for Cathedral Concerts’ 25th Anniversary season, visit CathedralConcerts.org or call 314-533-7662.

▪ Run/walk to benefit Bereda family: A candlelight 5K run/walk to celebrate the lives of Brennen and Finley Bereda will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22 at Rock Springs Park in O’Fallon, 1428 E. 3rd St. Registration is not required, as the 5K is free. The 5K will be followed by: Lighting of luminaries, prayer led by St. Clare Church deacon, local country pop star Coy Taylor singing “God, Your Mama, & Me,” food and fellowship. Parking is available at the park, on the street, and at the First Baptist Church of O’Fallon. Please contact Heather Braundmeier at heather.braundmeier.1@us.af.mil or 618-660-5382 with questions or volunteer opportunities.

▪ Corpus Christi Rummage Sale: The Ladies Club of Corpus Christi Catholic Church will have a rummage sale Sept. 22 and 23 at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church Parish Center, 205 Rasp St. in Shiloh. On Friday, Sept. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m., there will be a “pre-sale” where admission will be $3. The rummage sale will be open to the general public on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you have questions, call 618-632-7614.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24

▪ Free yoga class: Unity Yoga and Wellness, 129 W. First St. in downtown O’Fallon, will hold a free yoga class this Sunday at 4 p.m. Donations are typically collected for the food pantry or other local causes. All donations go to whichever charity is chosen for the week. Visit unityyogaandwellness.com for more details.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28

▪ Metro-East Pachyderms meeting: Metro-East Pachyderm Club will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at Zapata Mexican Restaurant in Fairview Heights. State Sen. Kyle McCarter of Lebanon will be the guest speaker.

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This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 8:00 AM with the headline "POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony to be held in O’Fallon."