This Friday, family, friends and many in the Rochelle community will be saying farewell to Dan Sawicki, who passed away suddenly Monday night.
Sawicki, owner of Sawicki Motor Company in Rochelle for more than three decades, is being remembered as a business leader, avid outdoorsman and contributor to the community.
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ROCHELLE — This Friday, family, friends and many in the Rochelle community will be saying farewell to Dan Sawicki, who passed away suddenly Monday night.
Sawicki, owner of Sawicki Motor Company in Rochelle for more than three decades, is being remembered as a business leader, avid outdoorsman and contributor to the community.
For the last 24 years Sawicki has donated a car to Rochelle Township High School students at the annual Renaissance Assembly, which recognizes perfect attendance throughout the school year.
“Renaissance has been an incentive at RTHS since before I was even a student here,” RTHS superintendent Jason Harper said. “Guidance counselors Marianne Swanson, Laurie Pillen, and Ed Garrison contacted local business leaders like Dan with the concept of rewarding good attendance.”
Sawicki graciously responded.
“As an employer who counted on his people being on time and prepared to work, Dan liked the idea. He immediately agreed to provide a car,” said Pillen. “That was back in 1992-93 and for 24 years, every student who sat in that year-end assembly hoped when Dan pulled the winner’s name, it would be to them he handed the keys.”