Halloween Enjoyable Honors Jon’s Legacy

The basement of the Chicago Ridge Village Hall was a spooky, laughter-filled haunted path Saturday night as Jon’s Way Youth Group hosted its annual Halloween celebration for the native neighborhood.

The occasion, held Oct. 25 at 10445 Ridgeland Ave., introduced collectively about 60 younger contributors for a night crammed with creativity, sweet, and neighborhood spirit.

From the second children arrived, there was a lot to see and do.

The Village’s Trunk or Treat lined the car parking zone with adorned vehicles, whereas the Chicago Ridge Library helped younger artists craft Halloween magic at a pumpkin-decorating station. Downstairs, the Jon’s Way Haunted Trail delivered thrills and laughter as volunteers remodeled the basement right into a spooky maze.

“The Village of Chicago Ridge had some great surprises in their trunk or treat area and provided pumpkins and candy bags,” stated Karrie Grabinski, director of Jon’s Way Youth Group. “Everyone from the Police and Fire Departments to EMA and Public Works took part. It really brought the whole community together.”

Jon’s Way Youth Group was based by Roger and Karrie Grabinski after their son, Jon, tragically died in a automobile accident on March 5, 2016, on the age of 17.

Jon’s caring coronary heart, humor, and adventurous spirit impressed the Grabinskis to create a long-lasting legacy in his title, one which continued to uplift younger folks and strengthen the neighborhood he liked.

The nonprofit group, which included greater than 30 teenagers and younger adults, supplied members the possibility to volunteer, join with friends, and take part in wholesome, optimistic actions. The Haunted Trail served as one of many group’s most anticipated tasks every year, combining creativity, teamwork, and repair.

“I loved all the excitement this event brought with the preteens and teens,” Karrie stated. “Once they started decorating, their confidence and imagination soared—it was amazing to see.”

Karrie stated the Halloween celebration captured the center of what Jon’s Way represented: neighborhood, creativity, and compassion.

“This event gave the kids a safe place to use their imagination, have fun with their friends, and give back to their community,” she stated. “That’s what Jon was all about—being there for others and finding joy in simple, creative moments.”

As the night time ended and the final sweet luggage have been handed out, laughter crammed Village Hall, a reminder that Jon’s Way continued to make a distinction within the lives of Chicago Ridge youth, simply the way in which Jon would have wished.

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