Published: May 14, 2008 11:12 am         

District 118 hopes rib event sticks

Festival to raise funds for school programs

DANVILLE — This Fourth of July Weekend, area residents will have a new festival to attend, with proceeds going to Danville schools.

Although the main theme of the weekend-long event July 5-6 will be ribs — from both restaurant and amateur chefs — the event will feature other community events as well. Among them is a battle of the bands on the main stage July 5, live bands July 6; an all-age, co-ed dodge ball tournament both days; an all-age, co-ed softball tournament Saturday; and an all-age, co-ed kickball tournament Sunday.

Patrons also can look forward to both professional and amateur rib cook-offs and other amusements as well.

Danville District 118 extracurricular groups will occupy vending spaces for fundraising.

Danville High School track coach Steve Luke said he wanted to organize such an event in Danville to raise money for athletic and other school programs — and also give locals a place to hang out during the long weekend.

The idea came from a similar annual event in the Naperville area, where Luke and his brother, DHS Athletic Director B.J. Luke, used to teach and coach.

That event garnered large corporate donations for a fundraiser aimed at a local exchange club, a group that raised money for disadvantaged youth.

“We know it’s not going to be as big as Naperville, but I still think it could be a big thing,” Luke said.

The event is primarily an athletic department fundraiser, with proceeds coming from admissions and corporate sponsorships, he said. The athletic department will benefit from any money left over from corporate donations used to finance the event.

Other groups, such as North Ridge Middle School’s show choirs or the eighth-grade class of South View Middle School, will occupy vending booths free of charge to raise their own money.

The festival will serve as the first of its kind in Danville in recent years, he said.

“There’s not a big festival that everybody in town can take part in,” he said. “This gives us a chance for the entire community to be involved and have fun.”

He hopes the festival will be an event people can look forward to every year.

Matt Groppi, managing partner with the Danville Days Inn and Gino’s Place, is in charge of coordinating the entertainment for the weekend. He said the Naperville show serves as a good model for what organizers hope the event will eventually become. The northern fundraiser is known to raise lots of money each year.

“If we get a fraction of what they get, it will be a great thing for us,” he said, “and the community in general. It’s something to look forward to.

“Hopefully, this will keep getting better and better. The inaugural kickoff year is going to be successful.”

Groppi hasn’t booked any bands yet, but the groups could be a mix of local acts and others from farther away, he said. A committee is working out the details with the kind of music that could be played, as well as the specific acts, he added.

“We want something that everyone can relate to,” he explained. “I think it will be well attended.”



COMING UP

The first Danville Days Rib Festival, a community festival and fundraiser for Danville District 118 schools, will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5-6 at Ellsworth Park.

Admission to the event will be $5 per adult per day, $3 per student (age 9-18) per day and children 8 and under are free. A senior shuttle from the front gate to the vendor area will be available. For detailed information about the event or to reserve booth space, call Steve Luke at 444-1636.