Elk Grove Village entrepreneurs are giving back to the Dist. 59

Elk Grove Village is geographically and in some ways culturally separated into the business park and residential parts of the village. One attempt to connect those worlds took root in a small way last month at the Enclave Learning and Education Center in Elk Grove Village.

Karen Osmanski, president of the Coalition for Community Character of Elk Grove, attended a master class at the Enclave last month, urging entrepreneurs and business leaders to donate to the Coalition for Community Character’s backpack drive for the Elk Grove Township Elementary School Dist. 59 students.

John Dallas, founder of Enclave and a board member of the Community Character Coalition, said John-Michael Williams, president of Elk Grove Village-based Tykables, pulled out his cell phone and ordered 40 backpacks. Dallas said others in the class, speaking with representatives from Scotland via video conference, also pulled out their phones and iPads to order more backpacks for the Dist. 59 children.

Dallas said between 200 and 300 backpacks have been collected so far through the drive for the Dist. 59 students through the Enclave. Character Coalition President Karen Osmanski later said another 130 backpacks were collected.

The new backpacks can be ordered from any retailer online and shipped directly to Dist. 59 Administration Center, 1001 Leicester Rd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, commemorating the backpack donation campaign, or dropped off at collection sites including Dist. 59 office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Enclave Learning and Earning Center, 75 Turner Ave., during regular business hours of 8:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, or Elk Grove Public Library, 1001 Wellington Ave., during regular business hours.

The Community Character Coalition is running the backpack drive for the Dist. 59 students by Monday July 25th. These backpacks will be distributed to students at school events in August.

Every third Wednesday of the month Enclave hosts master classes for entrepreneurs.

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