One Joliet Coalition Hosts Community Fun Day

JOLIET, IL — More than 200 backpacks were given away to area children at the inaugural event for One Joliet Coalition that took place on Saturday, Aug. 14 at Varnado Park.

“The decision was we really want to introduce ourselves to the community that we serve,” Cofounder Elvis Madison said. "The first community to work in will be the south end of Joliet.”

Varnado Park is at the corner of McDonough and Water streets.

“This event was to get the community together," said Jeremy Paige, president of One Joliet Coalition. “We wanted one last fun weekend before back to school.”

One Joliet Coalition was founded by Madison and Jes McIlvain.

“For One Joliet Coalition, the focus is to bring together like-minded organizations that share a similar mission and vision of their community,” Madison said. “There are a lot of groups in the Joliet area that do the same type of work.
“I think One Joliet Coalition is that piece that is going to bring those groups together

In addition to handing out school supplies, the event celebrated the history of the park.

In the 1980s, Father Lecture, of Sacred Heart Church in Joliet, broke ground for the park and later that same decade the park was named after Rev. Alva M. Varnado.

“He was part of NAACP. He brought Martin Luther King Jr, Jesse Jackson and even James Brown to Joliet,” Trista Brown who serves on the board of One Joliet Coalition said. “He was very known because he was active in community activism as well as with the church.”

Not long after the park was named, the Jets baseball team, an all-girls, Black baseball team began playing there, and the Bad News baseball team still plays there to this day.

At the event, Jet Barber’s children, Mike Barber and Rowena Barber, received an award on behalf of their mother, who founded the Jets baseball team. Willie Wright, who founded the Bad News team also received an award.

The event featured tables including Black Lives Matter Will County Chapter, Kya’s Paintings and Snook's Closet. The Joliet Fire Department and Joliet Police Department were also in attendance and brought vehicles that the kids could climb in.

“They (asked) us to come out for the community event, and we love coming out here,” Joliet Police Sgt. Lisa Nicodemus said at the event.

Madison said it was important to One Joliet Coalition to invite representatives from the police and fire departments.

“That’s a part of our mission as well to foster positive relationships with our law enforcement, the organizations and agencies that serve our community,” Madison said.

Gloria Cunningham brought her four children over to the event, and they were all enjoying the bouncy house.

“I was riding by, and the guy invited me to come back at 12,” she said of how she found out about the event. “I’m enjoying myself, and it's peaceful, relaxing and a nice change of pace.”

Madison was happy about how the event turned out.

“This event was such a great success. I am just getting emotional thinking about it,” he said. “What was such a small seed grew into a tree. And one day we hope we see those branches start producing fruit that’s going to feed the communities we live in, feed the communities we serve in and feed the communities so that they grow even more.”