Football, history to share limelight

JOLIET -- Former Chicago Bear and Joliet native Tom Thayer will be the guest speaker at the Joliet Regional Chamber of Commerce's Celebration of Success on Wednesday.

During the banquet, the Joliet Area Historical Museum will be honored as the chamber's business of the year.

Monday is the last day to order tickets for the event, which includes cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 at Syl's 150 West, 1050 NE Frontage Road, Joliet. Tickets cost $65. Tables of 10 are available.

Normally, the chamber does not have a guest speaker at its annual banquets, said chamber CEO Russ Slinkard. But this year is the chamber's 95th anniversary, so the group decided to invite someone from Joliet who had significant accomplishments in their chosen career.

"We thought it would be very special for us to get Tom, especially during the season with him announcing," Slinkard said.

Thayer is one of the radio announcers for Bears games, and he was a member of the Bears team that won SuperBowl XX.

The Joliet Area Historical Museum was named business of the year because of the great job the organization does bringing people to downtown Joliet, Slinkard said. The chamber's awards are not limited to businesses and often include organizations and individuals.

"They contribute so much to the community," he said of the museum, which includes the Route 66 welcome center. "They bring visitors in to the city, and in that sense they do contribute to the economy."

The museum's exhibits are really meaningful to the area and are a good draw for tourists, he added. Slinkard cited the current John Houbolt exhibit, which honors a Joliet Junior College student who went on to work for NASA and the Apollo 11 moon mission.

"The exhibit is absolutely extraordinary," Slinkard said.

The chamber has a banquet every November to recognize businesses and individuals who deserve a pat on the back.

"We think it's important to recognize businesses that are successful and have significant accomplishments," Slinkard said.

Other businesses and individuals selected for recognition Wednesday include:

Professional Business Services: Dystrup, Hoster & Jarot P.C.

Financial Services: Prairie Trail Credit Union.

Retail: Johansen & Anderson Inc.

Social Service Agencies: Cornerstone Services Inc.

Community Special Service Award: Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.

For reservations, call the chamber at 815-727-5371.