Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

The Center for Prevention of Abuse will host a kickoff party to mark the beginning of duck sales for annual fundraising event, the Duck Race, which raises funds to provide services to help women, men, and children live free from violence and abuse. Kelleher’s will close down the block of Water Street for the outdoor event and the evening will have rubber ducks available for sponsorship at buy-one get-one free while supplies last, Duck Race merchandise for sale, and an appearance by the Duck Race mascot, Super Quacky. Thursday, June 8, 2017 from 7-9 p.m. Kelleher’s Irish Pub & Eatery 619 SW Water Street Peoria, IL 61602 Starting June 8, ducks are officially up for sponsorship by visiting www.duckracepeoria.com or at any of the sales sites throughout the greater Peoria area beginning weekends June 8 through race day on August 26, 2017 at Eastside Centre.

Please join us at the UnityPoint Health – Pekin Chamber Business After Hours event scheduled on June 1, 2017!  There will be refreshments, door prizes and tours.  We are looking forward seeing you and sharing our many changes!

Illinois Central College installed today on its Peoria Campus the Sculpture Walk piece “Prairie Walker,” a gift from John and Sharon Amdall, of Washington, Ill. The 1200 lb., 12 ft. by 10 ft. by 6 ft. sculpture made of Cor-Ten steel was created by artist James Johnson, of Charleston, Ill., in 2011. Johnson is Emeritus Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and Emeritus Professor of Art at Eastern Illinois University. “I am honored and pleased to have my sculpture placed at the new ICC Peoria Campus student center.  It's a beautiful campus and having the sculpture placed where students, faculty, and the public can view it is especially rewarding. It has been a pleasure working with Arts Partners of Central Il, their success in bring a wide range of art programs to Peoria is noteworthy and deserving of recognition, especially the annual Sculpture Walk program which has greatly enhanced the public's awareness of the arts and the contributions they make to enriching our da

by Christina R. Green Selfies are no longer the domain of duck-faced teenage girls. (That’s not an insult. It’s a description. Google it.) They’re gaining in popularity among adults and businesses too. Selfies are a way of showing customers and potential customers a “behind the scenes” look at your business. They also are an effective way of telling your business story.  In addition to selfies, photo bombs can be lots of fun as they are extremely shareable content. Photo bombs start off as portraits, similar to selfies, but the person in the foreground is upstaged by what’s going on behind him/her.  Here are 5 types of selfies/photo bombs you should take for your business and post to your social streams:  Your History A selfie of the business owner in front of something historic about the business or the year it opened. Good ideas include standing in front of an old picture of the business from way back when, standing in front of a former owner’s portrait, or th

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Christine Greenleaf is the new Children's Ministries Director at First Baptist Church Pekin.  She has four children, two boys and two girls, that range from 14-31 years old. She also have a grandson, 7 years old and granddaughter, 3 years old. Besides the experience of raising four children, Christine has a little over 10 years children's ministry experience.  She believe God has given her a great desire to show the love of Jesus to children. Christine has some pretty cool curriculum for the Children’s Ministries for the summer and for the coming fall semester. She is looking forward to serving God and the families in our community and to help children know that God is real and He loves and cares very much for them.

Quick Pic Liquor recently opened on the corner 5th and Derby (422 Derby Street).  Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce helped welcome them to Pekin with a ribbon cutting ceremony.  Owner Atvi Patel and Manager Sam Patel were joined by their family and employees for the event.  Quick Pic Liquor is a convenience store that offers liquor, food, lottery, snacks and video gaming.  They can be reached at 347-6968.  More pictures from this event can be found at:    https://goo.gl/photos/W3aYCu5mpPuVgayLA

Audience members are invited to “be our guest” when Central Illinois Ballet (CIB), in residence at Illinois Central College, presents its world premiere performance of Beauty and the Beast Sat., May 27 at 2 pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center, located on the East Peoria Campus. Based on the classic Disney fairy tale, the show will transport audiences to an enchanted castle full of dancing teacups, flirty feather dusters and magical creatures. “It has become a tradition to end our season each spring with a story book ballet,” said Rebekah Von Rathonyi, artistic director for CIB. “This year I am very excited to be directing such a heartwarming ballet with a strong female lead character. Belle (in our version Bella) is my daughter’s, and even my husband’s, favorite Disney princess. Also, Beauty and the Beast allows for the freedom to cast many different roles for our company members and academy students.” Also appearing in Beauty and the Beast will be members of CIB’s sen

ICC will celebrate its 2017 Commencement on Saturday, May 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the Peoria Civic Center. Of the more than 2,100 students from the fall 2016, spring 2017 and summer 2017 semesters who qualified to receive degrees and/or certificates, more than 300 are expected to participate in the ceremony. The ceremony can be watched live via web streaming beginning at 9:30 am at   http://icc.edu/commencement-live/ Sue Portscheller, Vice President of Marketing at CEFCU, will present the commencement address. Portscheller, an ICC alum, recently retired from the Board of Trustees after 18 years of service. As a single mother, Portscheller came to ICC to earn her associate degree and continued her education to receive her MBA. She is a philanthropist and volunteers in many areas of the community.             ICC also will present an Honorary Associate Degree in Governance and Leadership in remembrance and appreciation of James K. Polk to his widow, Patti. Polk served on the ICC

Pekin will host the fifth annual Dash at Dusk 5K and Kids’ Fun Run on July 21, 2017. The event promotes community wellness and raises funds for the hospital’s annual mission trip to provide medical assistance to underserved countries. Held on the UnityPoint Health – Pekin campus at 600 South 13 th Street in Pekin, Dash at Dusk includes a 5K run, a one-mile walk and a fun run for kids. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and concludes with a family friendly after party. Prices are $30 for the 5K run, $30 for the one-mile walk and $15 for the kids’ run. All proceeds benefit this year’s mission trip to Liberia. The annual mission trip is part of UnityPoint Health – Pekin’s Seasons of Sharing Campaign. “We’re looking forward to another great event to promote healthy living for area families,” said Marcy Becker, Dash at Dusk co-coordinator. “Last year we had 338 participants and raised more than $9,000 for our mission team. With the community’s help, we hope to make an even bigger impact

CEFCU is pleased to announce that members now have the ability to access Android Pay at hundreds of thousands of stores by using their smartphones with Android 4.4 KitKat and above. Any CEFCU Debit Mastercard or Credit Mastercard, may be used with Android Pay. Android Pay is simple to set up and easy to use. Simply add your CEFCU Debit Mastercard or Credit Mastercard and make your payments quickly and securely wherever you see the contactless-enabled symbol at the check-out terminal. Android Pay payments are safe since your actual credit or debit card number is not used in the payment transaction. Instead, a virtual account number, which represents your account information is sent, keeping your card details secure. Android Pay can be used at millions of stores around the world, wherever contactless payments are accepted. Users simply unlock their device and hold it close to the terminal to pay. “CEFCU is excited to be able to add Android Pay to our lineup of digital wallets,” s

While the Spring 2017 semester is coming to a close, we are gearing up for the Fall 2017 semester.  Applications are being accepted for the Senior Consulting Project program until August 4, 2017. Is your business looking to create any of the following?  T he Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Bradley University may have the solution. marketing strategy feasibility study strategic growth plan launching a new product or service starting your own business Since 1972, Bradley University has provided the Senior Consulting Program to small businesses in the central Illinois area.  In this Capstone course, College of Business majors are given an opportunity to apply their accumulated business knowledge to a "real world" business situation at   NO COST  to the participati

Limited openings are still available for the fall 2017 semester for the Illinois Central College Automotive Technology and General Motors-Automotive Service Educational Programs (GM ASEP). The Automotive Technology program is a two-year, ASE/NATEF certified program that prepares students to become automotive technicians at new car and truck dealerships, repair facilities, automotive machine shops, and many other automotive businesses. The GM ASEP program is a ASE/NATEF certified program that specifically prepares students to work as automotive technicians in General Motors dealerships or ACDelco Professional Service Centers. For more information on how to apply for these programs, contact the Agricultural & Industrial Technologies Dept., visit icc.edu/drive . Additional programs with openings include the Horticulture- Landscape Management and Horticulture- Turfgrass Management, which are two-year associate in applied science degree (career) programs. Openings are available for

Sex sells. What sells even more? Insecurity. Multi-billion dollar industries saturate our lives with images of unattainable beauty, exporting body hatred from New York to Beirut to Tokyo. Their target? Women, and increasingly men and children. The Illusionists exposes the absurd, sometimes humorous, and shocking images that seek to enslave us. This documentary about the globalization of beauty, is an internationally acclaimed film. Elena Rossini, the filmmaker, is also a photographer, multimedia producer, director and blogger. Elena worked as a writer, producer, cinematographer and director on The Illusionists, which explores the marketing of unattainable beauty ideals around the world. The film was financed through a crowdfunding campaign, amassing donations from over 360 individuals; filming locations include the U.S., U.K., the Netherlands, France, Italy, Lebanon, India and Japan. There will be two screenings offered on June 22, 2017 at 10 am and at 6 pm. The Screenings will be h

Hopedale Medical Center held a grand opening for their new Tremont Medical Arts building on May 13th.  The new building will be staffed by Drs. Trent D. and Rebecca A. Proehl.  Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony.  Drs. Alfred N. Rossi, Matthew B. Rossi and Lawrence J. Rossi, Jr. and Chief Operating Officer Mark Rossi all made remarks after the ribbon cutting.  The new facility is located at 150 Lake Street.  More information is available at www.HopedaleMC.com/Tremont .  You can see more pictures from this event at:    https://goo.gl/photos/p1un6J44W2CvB7YS7

Jordan Matthews, president of the Kiwanis Pekin Sunset Club, cut the ribbon celebrating the clubs membership in the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce.  Other officers and club members joined Matthews and representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce for the ceremony.  The Kiwanis Pekin Sunset Club meets at Mashies at 6pm on the 2nd Wednesdays of each month.  More information about their club is available on their Facebook page or you can email the club at: PekinSunsetKiwanis@gmail.com or find them on Twitter: @KiwanisPekinSunsetClub.

               Buddy Holly didn’t make it to his scheduled performance in Peoria in 1959, but musician Johnny Rogers will give audiences a feel for his music and more.                The Illinois Central College Guest Artists Series presents Rogers and his backing band with their show Buddy and Beyond: The History of Rock and Roll on May 19 at 7:30 pm in the ICC Performing Arts Center, located on the East Peoria Campus.                Due to the fateful plane crash known as “the day the music died,” Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper never made it to Peoria to perform as part of the Winter Dance Party tour in 1959. But Rogers will pay tribute to those performers and others during his performance.                “I’ll start it off with Buddy Holly and I’ll put in a tribute to the Bopper and Ritchie Valens, because they were on that last tour with him and on the plane,” Rogers said. “Then after that I’ll do Johnny Cash and do the whole Million Dollar Quartet thin

The Illinois River Valley Special Recreation Association (IRVSRA) is have a rummage sale this Friday and Saturday to raise money for building renovations to increase program space for their special needs programing.  The rummage sale will take place indoors, rain or shine, inside the Robert N. Blackwell Administration Building up the hill from DragonLand Water Park in Mineral Springs Park at 1701 Court Street.  There are many items available, from clothes to power tools, it is a must see for garage and rummage sale enthusiasts.  If you are unable to attend the rummage sale but would still like to help with the renovation project you can donate online at: https://www.gofundme.com/irvsraorg-program-space OR offline by contacting the Pekin Park Foundation at 309.353.4328 to make a direct donation to IRVSRA.  For more about IRVSRA, please visit www.irvsra.org . Hours:                   Friday: 4pm – 7pm                                 Saturday: 8am – 3pm Location:             

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PEKIN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING Pekin Life Insurance Company held its annual meeting on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at the Company’s Home Office in Pekin, Illinois. Premium income increased by 3.1 percent to $222.5 million. Life Insurance in force exceeded $17.1 billion in the year 2016. The Company reported net loss of $1.0 million. At the meeting, shareholders elected directors Steven R. Anderson, Loves Park, Illinois; Byron A. Dodd, Anna, Illinois; and Brian K. Lee, Pekin, Illinois, to three year terms to expire in May 2020. Other directors whose terms continue are: Craig W. Concklin, Hinsdale, Illinois; Daniel V. Connell, Tremont, Illinois; Scott A. Martin, Peoria, Illinois; and Thomas C. Hornstein, A. Richard Kriegsman, and Christine A. Schwartz, all from Pekin, Illinois. Pekin Life Insurance Company is an integral part of the Pekin Insurance® group of companies. Pekin Life Insurance Company stock trades under the symbol “PKIN” and is listed on the OTC Pink Mar

Good Tequilas, 1440 N. 8th Street, celebrated their opening with a ribbon cutting on Monday, May 8th.  Representatives from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Pekin joined owner Jose Barragan and his staff for the celebration.  Good Tequilas is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 9:30pm; Friday 11:00 am to 10:30 pm; Saturday 11:30 am to 10:30 pm and Sunday 11:30 am 9:00 pm.  You can see more pictures from this event at: https://goo.gl/photos/7TBWQ95ySJHdamMY9

DATE:  May 25, 2017 - June 29, 2017 LOCATION:  Richardson Counseling & Wellness Center  112 Park Ridge Land, Pekin, IL Improve and Uplevel your skills in leadership, team building, problem solving, decision making, and communication. This interactive training is strength-based and the practical application will address: ·   Dealing with difficult people ·   Dealing with our difficult selves ·   Dealing with difficult situations ​6-week Master Class. Each session is 1.5 - 2 hours, and participants are asked to dedicate one additional hour per week on independent homework activities. Register by May 18, 2017 ​ Click here  for all information and to sign up. This program is also offered August 31st October 12th ​ This program is also offered as a  Teleclass  training: July 11th October 10th December 26th

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Center for Prevention of Abuse Executive Director Carol Merna is pleased to announce Camille Yameen has been named The Center’s new Director of Marketing and Communications. Camille is a Bradley University graduate and has spent the previous five years building her resume in national and international communications. "Camille is the perfect fit for the marketing and communications team at The Center for Prevention of Abuse,” said Carol Merna, Executive Director. “She brings a unique skillset to us with very diverse experience and a creative focus. Her passion for nonprofit work, our mission, and advocacy have made her the right person to take on this important leadership role.” Camille previously worked in public relations in Las Vegas, Nevada at Kirvin Doak Communications where she and her team handled communication efforts, special events, and media relations on behalf of a variety of clientele in the for profit and nonprofit sectors. She went on to serve for 22 months

Limited openings are still available for the fall 2017 semester for select Health Careers Programs. The original deadline for registering for most Fall 2017 Health Careers programs was January 15. However, additional applications are being accepted for the following programs on a first-come, first-served basis: Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Massage Therapist, Medical Assistant, Medical Coder, Medical Office Administrative Assistant, Paramedic, Respiratory Therapist, and Surgical Technologist. ICC also has openings for summer 2017 in the EMT program. There also are open seats available at this time in medical terminology courses this summer and fall. This course is a prerequisite for other courses in the Health Careers programs. Successful applicants must meet eligibility criteria specific to each program. For more information on how to apply for any of these programs and specific eligibility requirements, visit icc.edu/healthcareers .

Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois will host its annual job fair on Friday, June 2, 2017. The job fair will be held at Goodwill Commons, 2319 E. War Memorial Drive, Peoria. Job fair hours are 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. More than 30 employers are slated to attend. All employers attending will have positions open. Currently, these employers will be available: 2 Men & A Truck Job Corps Aerotek Congressman Darin Lahood Bump Boxes County of Peoria Juvenile Detention Center Caterpillar Preferred Home Healthcare CEFCU Resource MFG Representative Cheri Bustos Securitas Embassy Suites Sedona Staffing G&D Signature Products Goodwill Social Security Administration Heartland Health Staff Quick HGS Palm TriCom Construction Home Goods UnityPoint Hospice Volt IDES/Career Link Vonachen Services Inc. Woodforest National Bank Employers attending will be updated and available at www.goodwillpeo.org . For more information contact Johanna Wagner at (309) 682-1113,