Bringing community together

By: Michael Chunko
Posted 5/19/17

Richard Harris of Rochelle wants to bring the community together, providing positive, family-oriented activities.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Bringing community together

Posted

Richard Harris of Rochelle wants to bring the community together, providing positive, family-oriented activities.  
His plan has been on the drawing board since last September and on June 3 the first “Heat Wave” (“enjoy the first heat of the summer and wave at your neighbors”) will take place at Atwood Park in Rochelle from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  
The event will feature a bouncy house, face paintings, a softball game, flag football game, a classic car show, a “touch a truck” exhibit, and food. A local pop band called “Elision,” is scheduled to be the first performing.  
Harris says there is something for everyone of all ages and he urges the community to get behind the project and attend with families and friends.

He got the idea for the festival after doing some observation and personal soul-searching, and prayer after a health crisis a year ago.  His job of eight years was over as well, but he was reinstated at a different facility, but stress-related issues were building.  Doctors’ reports were optimistic, however, and he was ready to take on whatever needed to be done as he regained his health again. Much of that activity revolved around his family of wife, Julia, and three young children.
“My son plays a lot of sports and knows a lot of the kids in the community.  And there’s just not that much for them to do when they’re out of school,” he said.
Harris says the world is changing and it’s much more challenging than it used to be, and positive activities are scarce.”  He said the time had come to get moving with his plans
“People are out on the streets doing things that aren’t good.  Every day, you read about another shooting and often it’s for no reason at all. There’s not a lot I can do from keeping my son or anyone else’s kids from seeing this stuff, but I can help provide some alternatives in my community.  I’d like to do what I can.”
Community support so far has been great, he says, and local pastors who were his former customers at a local business are on board.  His wife, Julia, is working with her husband as well, and combined support with his family and friends and business associates makes Heat Wave a team effort.
“I went to a movie event at our church one night.  The featured film was “Woodlawn,” and it was great to see how one young man worked to bring a community together.  It brought tears to my eyes and while I’m not trying to do what he did exactly, the idea is the same: bringing people together from different backgrounds to achieve a common goal.  Kids are our future.  I’m doing this for the love of God who has been a huge part of this journey and for the love of His children.”  
Harris urges the community to come out and enjoy a day of family fun.