O’Fallon Around Town — Dec. 16 edition

By Jennifer Green

Updated December 13, 2021 4:57 PM

Noon Thursday, Dec. 16, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.

Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: O’Fallon Progress Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Thursday, Dec. 16

▪ O’Fallon Woman’s Club — Noon. St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 111 O’Fallon Troy Road, O’Fallon. The program for the monthly meeting will be a $10 gift exchange. ofallonwomansclub@gmail.com, ofallonwomansclub.org or facebook.com/OFallonWomansClubInc

▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. Virtual support meetings for family members and other caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Meetings are peer-led and rely on the knowledge and experiences of the group to help one another. Registration is required in order to receive the link to these meetings. For more information or to register, contact Pat Rudloff at silverlining6@charter.net.

Friday, Dec. 17

▪ O’Fallon Fish Fry — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Fridays. Knights of Columbus Hall, 402 E. U.S. 50, O’Fallon. Traditional menu of cod available along with hamburgers, hot dogs, pork steaks and additional side dishes. Dine-in and carryout. Credit cards accepted. Orders can be called in at 618-632-6229.

▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — Noon to 4 p.m. O’Fallon Fire Department HQ, 1215 Taylor Road, O’Fallon. Appointments are recommended but not required. To make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

▪ Shiloh Eagles Fish Fry — 5-7 p.m. Shiloh Eagles 545, 100 Eagle Drive, Shiloh. Cod, walleye, catfish, shrimp and sides. Full menu. Dine-in or carryout available. For carryout, call 618-624-5412.

O’Fallon Moose Lodge 2608 didn’t want anyone to be home alone on Thanksgiving, so they provided fellowship and a bountiful meal at the American Legion hall. Those in the community or armed forces who did not have a place to spend the holiday were welcomed. Moose members served turkey and ham and all the trimmings, and folks contributed side dishes for the feast, which was offered without a cost. Any donations were planned to be given to local charities. Provided

Friday, Dec. 17, through Sunday, Dec. 19

▪ Mercy Holiday Celebration at Powell Hall — 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, and Saturday, Dec. 18; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Check laughter and cheer off your holiday list at the SLSO’s Mercy Holiday Celebration. Sing along to your favorite holiday classics performed by the orchestra and Denzal Sinclaire, plus, enjoy a special visit from Santa Claus himself! This unforgettable experience will put you in the holiday spirit and show you why thousands of St. Louisans make this concert an annual tradition. slso.org

Saturday, Dec. 18

▪ Book Sale — 9 a.m. to noon. Tri Township Library, 209 S. Main St., Troy. Book donations are accepted during the sale and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. 618-667-2133.

▪ 6th annual Milk & Cookies To Go — Noon. Hearts in Faith, NFP, 7 Eagle Center, O’Fallon. Milk & Cookies is our Christmas Blessing to single-parent families in St. Clair and Madison counties. This year we are in need of your support to bless local families who have been nominated to participate in this event. Please consider sponsoring a family or making a tax-deductible donation. facebook.com/events/620944889195731

▪ The Christmas Carol Pub Crawl — 5-9 p.m. Downtown O’Fallon. Check in at 4:45 p.m. at Gears @ Bike Surgeon, 201 E. State St., O’Fallon. Get your group together and dust off your old ugly Christmas sweaters! Yule be getting into Holiday Spirits singing Christmas Carols to all the bars on the Crawl throughout downtown O’Fallon! This is great practice for the Caroling Contest that happens at the end of the night. facebook.com/events/2991252321204258.

Saturday, Dec. 18, through Sunday, Dec. 19

▪ The New Jewish Theatre presents ‘A Little Song, a Little Dance, a Little Seltzer Down Your Pants!’ — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19. Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur, Missouri. A sparkling evening of song and comedy to celebrate the return of the New Jewish Theatre. Eric Williams, originally from St. Louis, is an actor and comedian is working in New York and LA. Eric last appeared at the J in “Ester and Eric’s One Woman Show.” Sharon Hunter has worked as a professional actor, singer, director and is currently the Artistic Director of Moonstone Theatre Company. jccstl.com

Sunday, Dec. 19

▪ The Philharmonic Society of Belleville presents Holiday Pops Christmas Spectacular — 1 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, 103 E. Main St., Belleville. Featuring guest organist Bob Heil. Ring in the holidays with music to bring joy to your heart and delight to your spirit. Tickets $5-$15. bellevillephilharmonic.org

Wednesday, Dec. 22

▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. O’Fallon YMCA, 284 N. Seven Hills Road, O’Fallon. Appointments are recommended but not required. To make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Public Safety Employees of the Year

The O’Fallon Department of Public Safety would like to congratulate the 2021 employees of the year. These individuals have set themselves apart from their peers by consistently performing at a high level this past year. Their dedication to public safety and the community of O’Fallon is commendable.

Firefighter of the year — Firefighter John Nichols

Firefighter John Nichols was selected for his continued contributions to the department and the fire service. Nichols was one of the first four part-time firefighters hired to support OFR’s day shift and today serves as the lead trainer for all day shift personnel. In addition, he is routinely tasked with special projects that go beyond the day-to-day duties of day shift coverage. Nichols’s 30+ years of experience in the fire service have made him a key member of the department.

Civilian of the Year — Telecommunicator Lynde Hockaday

Telecommunicator Lynde Hockaday is, and has been, an asset to MECOMM since being hired in 2018. Hockaday has been instrumental in ensuring LEADS compliance and quality control. As a Certified Training Officer, she has made it her mission to learn as much as possible, sharing her knowledge with trainees to ensure their success. Hockaday also participates in outside assignments and department volunteer activities. Her passion is to be successful, help those on her team, and make MECOMM the best it can be.

Emergency Medical Services Employee of the Year — Paramedic Marty Nungesser

Paramedic Marty Nungesser has been with O’Fallon EMS since 2001. He is a crew leader and has been EMS employee of the year four times. Nungesser always places patient well-being at the forefront of his treatments and maintains a level of empathy that is truly valued in pre-hospital care. In addition to being one of the most caring paramedics, Nungesser is instrumental in keeping our fleet operational. He is committed to the department’s mission and always represents the service in the highest professional manner.

Police Officer of the Year — Officer Chris Gottschall

Officer Chris Gottschall has been with the police department since 2014. He has taken leadership roles in the organization with an increased dedication to keeping the community safe through enforcement of impaired driving.

During 2021, Gottschall performed at a high level while acting as a field training officer, firearms instructor, and departmental armorer. Gottschall always maintains a positive attitude and continues to look for ways to increase his personal growth and development.

This story was originally published December 5, 2021 at 5:08 PM.