Community Corner
Late Resident's Memory Lives on by 'Paying it Forward'
Mike Szczepaniak died just a few days before his 50th birthday in October 2011. Since then, his wife and others in the community have organized an annual golf outing
Mike Szczepaniak, a beloved Woodridge resident, died just a few days before his 50th birthday in October 2011. Since then, his wife and others in the community have helped his memory live on locally by raising money through an annual golf outing.
The second annual Swing Like Mike event is at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Village Greens in Woodridge. It's $135 per golfer, which includes a cart, green fees, draft beer, lunch, dinner and an open bar. A dinner-only ticket is $35. There will also be contests, games, auction and raffle items and door prizes.
For more information call 630-726-6408. The registration deadline is this Saturday, Sept. 28.
The event had 250 people last year, raising $17,000. A portion of the money goes to the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation (Mike was a diehard Bears fans), and the rest goes toward what Mike's wife, Sherri, said is "paying it forward in Woodridge by helping families in need."
"People helped me," Sherri said in a previous article. "I decided to do something every year around his birthday ... pay it forward to somebody else who needs help."
The Woodridge Jaycees (of which Mike was a member) is sponsoring the event and is also working to set up a scholarship in Mike's name at Downers Grove South High School. Sponsorship opportunities for the event range between $100 and $300.
For more information, go to www.livelikemike.com.
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