Welcome to The Exchange Club of the Tri Cities
PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

The following summary outlines our main projects and activities. Our website will provide information about how to join our club, make donations to our worthy causes, or simply help us at our various fundraisers and community events.

PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE: This is the national cause for Exchange Clubs and our local club has helped a child abuse prevention center become a reality in the Joliet area, while also aiding the Child Advocacy Center in Kane County, the Court Appointed Special Advocates program, and many other programs benefiting children from broken families. Our contributions laid the foundation for the Single Moms Support Group offered by TriCity Family Services, and our club leaders helped organize the first Naperville Exchange Club, which has gone on to become the largest in the state and has raised millions of dollars for child abuse prevention with its RibFest.

PROMOTION OF PATRIOTISM: When you see youngsters waving small American flags at the popular Swedish Days parade in Geneva each summer, it is because our club members have walked the parade route handing those out as patriotic reminders of our great homeland. We also recognize individuals and businesses in the community who display the American flag properly year-round in our "So Proudly We Hail" program, and we install Freedom Shrines at many area schools, libraries and public gathering places. This donation is a wonderful gift that illustrates all of the important documents in American history. Our outdoor Freedom Shrine is on display at the St. Charles Freedom Walk along the Fox River, near the St. Charles Police Station.

RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ACHIEVERS: Our Accepting the Challenge of Excellence (ACE) awards breakfast is one of our favorites of the year, as we host students from all of our area schools who have been chosen by their advisers or teachers as students who have overcome major challenges in their lives to forge ahead and excel in school.

These are not your top honors students or consistent high achievers. These are students who are almost always “under the radar� of the school districts and have faced financial, physical or emotional challenges to reach their academic goals.

FUND-RAISING EVENTS: We have established annual events that support our funding of local child-abuse prevention and family-support programs. We have hosted a spaghetti dinner each fall for nearly 20 years at the Moose Lodge in St. Charles and it has consistently drawn as many as 400 patrons.
Our annual Draw-Down dinner raises more than $6,000 each year for our programs. For the Draw-Down we sell 100 or more raffle numbers that put participants in a game that could net $1,000 or more in prize money. We get involved in other community events and programs that result in funds that the club can donate to worthy organizations.

HERE'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ...

The following topics have been addressed at recent Tri-Cities Exchange Club meetings. Anyone interested in making a presentation at the club is welcome to contact us and schedule a date. Those interested in being a speaker at our 7 a. m. Tuesday meetings at the west-side Colonial restaurant in St. Charles can do so by contacting Dennis Carr at dencarr@yahoo.com

RECENT TOPICS

Recent child abuse statistics and court proceedings

The First Street development project in St. Charles

The training and preparation for firefighters in our communities

The current economic situation and safe places for your money

The latest developments and offerings at Riverwoods Christian Center

The Royal Kids Camp offered for neglected children

An update on Lazarus House shelter in St. Charles

The life of a fighter pilot in Vietnam

An outlook on the local high school sports programs

A look at America's little-known invasion of Russia in 1917

A look at the legend and lore of Custer's Last Stand

The Toys for Tots program update, and special projects for needy children and families

Historical facts, trivia and lore regarding the Christmas season (annual presentation)

And many, many more!!

To be part of the club and to hear interesting presentations like these and more, go to the membership page on this website to learn about how to join!

CLUB HONORS STUDENTS WHO PERSEVERE TO REACH GOALS...

The Tri-Cities Exchange Club has honored the effort and determination of 11 local high school seniors who have overcome obstacles in their lives to reach their goal of graduation.

The annual ACE (Accepting the Challenge of Excellence) Awards breakfast at Colonial restaurant on May 12, 2009 showcased two students each from Mooseheart, Geneva, Batavia, St. Charles East and St. Charles North high schools, as well as one from Mades Johnstone Center.

Their teachers or counselors at the high schools nominated the students, who have overcome physical, emotional or social problems to excel in school.

The 2009 recipients of the ACE awards were:

Davon Davey and Stacy Torres of Mooseheart High School; Courtney Baier and Kevin Warfel of Geneva High School; Grant Heather and Rubi Gonzalez of St. Charles East High School; Dominic Muranyi and Jonathan Pantoja of St. Charles North High School; Andres Jones and Doreen Stein of Batavia High School, and Timothy Mannella of Mades Johnstone Center.

The Tri-Cities Exchange Club focuses on four national programs – prevention of child abuse, community service, Americanism and youth.

The ACE Awards, in its 13th year, represents the club’s youth program and is organized by member Tom Dearing.