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Press Releases
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May 10-16, 2006 Come ce1ebrate Lincoln Park's outstanding businesses at the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce's 16th Annual Awards Luncheon. Each year the Chamber• selects three award recipients who have excelled in business leadership and community involvement, and this year the Chall1ber has chosen the following: 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year, Bruce Longanecker, Lincoln Park Market; 2006 Small Business of the Year, Steve Quick Jeweler; and 2006 Community Contributor of the Year, Fairygodmother Foundation.
The luncheon will be held on Thursday, May 18, at Salvatore's Ristorante, 525 W Arlington PI. (Valet parking is available.) The reception begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at noon. With registration and payment by May 16, the cost is $40 for LPCC members and $45 for non-members.
To register, call the Chamber office at (773) 880-5200 for a registration form or visit www.lincolnparkchamber.com/events.
Entrepreneur of the Year Bruce Longanecker
Bruce Longanecker is the owner and general manager of the Lincoln Park Market and has been there since it opened as Lincoln Park Foods in September of 1970. Bruce sat on the Board of the Lincoln Park Chamber from 1997-2001 and was the Board Chairman in 2000. In addition, he has been involved with the Sheffield Neighbors Association for over 30 years and the Park West Association for 24 years. He is currently a commissioner for the Clark Street SSA and sits on the Executive Board of the Illinois Food Retailers Association.
Most recently, Bruce has become involved with relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He mobilized a collection campaign that to date has collected and distributed six semi trucks full of supplies, Thanksgiving dinner for 800, 500 turkeys, countless winter jackets, 2,000 toys, and four new roofs. In addition, he has created a 50l(c)3 called the North
Gulfport Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and is committed to this long-term effort.
Small Business of the Year Steve Quick Jeweler
Steve Quick Jeweler opened in 1986 on Jewelers Row and moved to Lincoln Park in early 1988. The store is an anchor on Clark St., and its owner, Steve Quick, is a well-respected business leader in the community. He is recognized by fellow business owners as the area expert on marketing and customer service.
Steve began his career as a jeweler in 1974 and gained a great deal of experience while working at Levinson's from 1977 to 1984. He was educated at Elk Grove High School, William Rainey Harper College, and the Gemological Institute of America. He is currently a commissioner of the Clark Street SSA and supported the Chamber as it worked to establish the Lincoln Avenue SSA. Steve and his wife, Melissa, who have been married for nine years, are involved with over 25 charities.
Steve Quick Jeweler is also currently looking for space to open a second location in the Southport Corridor.
Community Contributor of the Year Fairygodmother Foundation
Fairygodmother Foundation is a charity that grants wishes to adults facing terminal illness with less than one year to live. The organization was founded in 1998 and in the past six years has granted nearly 700 wishes in 47 states.
Fairygodmother Foundation's typical wish recipient is a mid-40's mother of three battling breast cancer; bankrupted by her medical illness, wanting to make lasting memories for her young children before she dies. The majority of the wishes granted involve children about to lose a parent. This unique wish granting program gives families crucial respite from illness and allows them to create important memories to help ease the pain of their loss. Often these wishes take the form of a family vacation, family reunions, celebrity meet-and-greets, and simple comfort items.
The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) is a nonprofit organization of over 600 local businesses, institutions, and professionals united to better serve the community and enhance the quality of life in the Lincoln Park area. |
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 On Friday September 2nd, 2005 four days after Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi, I received a phone call from my cousin, Paul Lopez. He asked if I would donate a few cases of water to help fill a truck he was driving to Mississippi. He already had medical supplies and generators donated to help with the relief effort. I told him we could better than that.
I called Alderman Daley's office to see if she could help with getting the word out. She sent out a blanket e-mail to all of her constituents "who told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on." We began collecting supplies at Lincoln Park Market to assist in a relief effort that seemed unattainable. People, who had very little in Mississippi to start with, now had nothing. In two days the Lincoln Park Community showed their generosity. We had collected at the store four twenty six foot trucks full of supplies ranging from generators to toothbrushes, clothes to baby supplies, medical supplies, tent, cots, air mattresses, food, and yes a few cases of water - in fact, over 400 cases.  On Tuesday, September 6th, 2005 our trucks had reached their destinations of Laurel and Hattiesburg Mississippi. The people of Hattiesburg had heard that a truck might be delivering some supplies. They put out two six foot tables and lined up for blocks to receive these supplies. Little did they know the amount of supplies that they were about to receive. These were the first supplies these people had seen since the hurricane had hit eight days previous.
That same day, I received a phone call from State Senator Simmons of Mississippi. He called and say thank you to the people of our community for all that they had done. My reply to the Senator after receiving the phone call: What is on your shopping list for this week, Senator! He immediately gave me a more defined list of what they needed and we were collecting again. With the help of Sal Manso of Reebie Moving and Storage Co. and my parish, St. Mary of the Woods in Edgebrook along with Lincoln Park Community and my cousin, Paul Lopez and Alderman Daley, we collected and shipped to Indianolia, Mississippi and the surrounding communities, two fifty three foot trailers full of much needed supplies which were received on September 13th, 2005. I would like to thank all of the people involved. Bruce Longanecker |
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 The Old Town Triangle Association is joining with other northside neighborhood associations to adopt the little town of North Gulfport, Mississippi - a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina last year. North Gulfport is a very poor community of 6,000 residents, 3000 of whom lost everything in the disaster, including their senior center, community center, their health care facility, and, worst of all, their jobs. The 1,000 children lost their school. To date, the government and the Red Cross have sent nothing and the people are in dire straits.
In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, Mr. Bruce Longanecker, owner of the Lincoln Park Market, organized a drive to send supplies to people hardest hit by the disaster. Thanks to the generosity of Lincoln Park residents and businessmen, truckloads of food, clothing, medical supplies, personal hygiene products, and bedding were sent to North Gulfport and other stricken communities. Mr. Longanecker himself went down to see what needed to be done and how we could help in the rebuilding process. He made contact with local officials and legislators and returned determined to form a coalition that would provide long-term assistance to the people. He worked with Alderman Vi Daley and the presidents of the various northside organizations to devise a long-term relief and rebuilding plan. That plan includes repairing roofs, rebuilding homes, finding work for displaced persons, and reopening service centers. In the coming months, we will be asked to help collect baby items (formula, diapers, clothing, bottles, cups, and wipes); toiletries, feminine hygiene products, reading glasses, laundry and cleaning supplies, blankets, school and office supplies, nonperishable food items, family games, bedding, air mattresses, baby strollers, eating implements, towels and wash cloths, and first aid kits. In the longer term, they will need telephones, TVs, bicycles, washers and dryers, microwave ovens, kitchen appliances, computers, cameras, vacuum cleaners, radios, blow dryers, space heaters, ceiling fans, light fixtures, lawn mowers, and furniture items-in short, all the items of everyday life that they lost.
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