Western Springs Circle of Friendship Party brings kids together

An effort to promote friendship among young people who otherwise might not have the chance to meet will culminate Saturday with the 30th annual Western Springs Circle of Friendship Party.

“I took over from someone else in the community,” Charlotte Wegrzyn, the event’s director for five years, said in a phone interview. “It’s always a parent who takes care of primary school children.”

This year’s party for school-age children will be held from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Lyons Township High School’s South Campus in the Corral Activities Center.

The event brings together 85 students from the La Grange area – most from Western Springs District 101 – and 85 students from the Off the Street Club of Chicago will join to enjoy activities such as an obstacle course, face painting and grooving to music from a DJ.

Volunteers ranging from middle school students to adults will be there to ensure that each pair is taken care of and that the event takes place as safely as possible.

“Junior high school kids can kind of help out the younger kids and help them navigate the party and get to know their new friend,” Wegrzyn said. “It’s an event for all ages, whether you participate or help. It brings together two communities that otherwise wouldn’t meet.”

Wegrzyn said the Off The Street Club, 25 N. Karlov Ave., on the west side of Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood, is “Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club.”

“Their children don’t have opportunities like ours,” she said. “It gives these kids the opportunity to spend an afternoon in a safe and fun environment while meeting new kids and introducing them to some diversity.”

The Chicago club is a nonprofit youth center “providing the children of Garfield Park a safe place to laugh, dream and reach their full potential,” according to its website.

The Friendship Circle celebration began in 1996 when several Western Springs families paired their 10 children from Laidlaw Elementary with 10 from OTSC to enjoy an afternoon of bowling and pizza. The first few minutes were difficult, but they quickly relaxed and had fun.

Encouraged by the first party, the volunteers decided to make it an annual event.

One of the original founders of the event and OTSC board member is Western Springs resident Patti Winegar.

“It’s our 30th anniversary, so it’s the perfect time to talk about the celebration,” she said.

Winegar also noted that this was the 125th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, noting that the club was entirely funded by private sources.

“I worked at a large (advertising) agency downtown and we were very involved in organizing the annual holiday luncheon, which is their biggest fundraiser,” she said. “That’s how I got involved. It took the whole agency working on this lunch to raise money for the programs. I was just amazed at what these kids had. They had a great gym, they had adult guidance on values, they had tutoring available and eventually computers; but also places to play and have fun, arts and crafts rooms and reading rooms.

“The idea was to get kids off the streets and give them a place to be kids and learn the values ​​needed to become great adults.”

OTSC also offers a summer camp in Wheaton, where Winegar said children can experience “the outdoors, camping, horses and bikes and hearing the crickets at night,” she said.

Hank Beckman is a freelance journalist for Pioneer Press.