$50,000 Donation to Lincolnway Special Recreation Association

New Lenox, IL - The Executive Board of the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association (LWSRA) were honored to receive a $50,000 donation during their monthly board meeting at the Lions Community Center. The funds were raised by the Lincolnway Special Recreation Foundation which holds events all throughout the year including a Golf Outing and Bunny Breakfast in support of building a recreation center for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities in New Lenox.

Lincolnway Special Recreation Association provides programs and services for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities through the park districts of New Lenox, Mokena, Frankfort, Manhattan and Peotone.

Members of the LWSR Foundation in attendance at the donation included Greg Zibricky; a local Frankfort Certified Financial Planner and author of a new book called “F.A.M.I.L.Y. Autism Guide: Your Financial Blueprint for Autism.” Mark Costigan, President of the LWSR Foundation; Scott Lorenz, Secretary of the LWSR Foundation; and John Olivieri, architect and member of the LWSR Foundation.

LWSRA participants Britni Anema, Nick Lorenz and Matthew Malinowski represented the over 300 families that LWSRA provides over 200 recreational programs for annually.

“We are so pleased with the generosity and success of our foundation,” stated Lana Graser, Executive Director of LWSRA, “We look forward to working with them in the future for the completion of this (building) project.”

The Foundation was established in 2008 to help raise money for building a future home for LWSRA. In October of 2011, LWSRA was a recipient of a $2.5 million grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for such a building. The recreation center, with scheduled completion by the end of 2013, will be built on 5.6 acres of Heather Glen Park off of Laraway and Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox. The 24,000 sq. ft. facility will include a gymnasium, stage, fitness area, learning kitchen, offices, classrooms, wheelchair softball field and will be completely handicap accessible.

LWSRA has provided recreation and leisure services for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities since 1976 without a permanent place to house their activities. Programs are offered for youth, teens and adults and include an adult daytime program, Special Olympics, wheelchair sports, dances and special events. For more information call (815) 464-2811 or visit www.lwsra.org to find how you can help. The LWSRF is hosting a Golf Outing for Friday, August 10th to help support the building a special recreation facility.