Dear Members:
Yours truly is featured in the cover story of Elmhurst Magazine’s May/June 2024 issue highlighting my decades of service to the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry and years playing Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL) locally and across the country.
Also featured in a magazine story is Dr. Hadley Thurman of Alpine Creek Dental, which coincidentally is where I go to have my teeth looked after.
Explore Elmhurst Trolley Returns
On May 31, the Explore Elmhurst Express Trolley started its 16-weekend summer run connecting downtown Elmhurst, Spring Road Business District and York and Vallette Business District in a 30-minute loop from 12 noon to 12 midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
The route travels to different shopping districts in Elmhurst, making stops near shops, restaurants, and entertainment—three in downtown Elmhurst, one adjacent to Wilder Park and one apiece in the other two business district.
The trolley also is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), which allows riders to track the vehicle’s location along its route. An audio narrative will inform riders about highlighted areas of the City.
The inside of the trolley features display advertising purchased by 24 local businesses and not-for-profit organizations—all but one of them members of our Chamber—to help partially underwrite the program’s cost.
The trolley is handicapped accessible and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant. Collapsible and small strollers that fit in the seating area are welcome aboard. Onboard storage is unavailable and it is against fire code to place strollers, bikes or belongings in the trolley’s aisle.
The trolley will offer a series of special events and activities throughout the summer so follow the Explore Elmhurst Facebook and Instagram pages to have the most up-to-date information. Riders are encouraged to share their own trolley photos by tagging #ExploreElmhurst.
Trolley advertisers include Chamber members Alpine Creek Dental, Community Bank of Elmhurst, Craftwood, Ella’s Italian Pub Elmhurst, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst Bank, Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts, Elmhurst Choral Union, Elmhurst Dentistry for Kids, Elmhurst University, GIA MIA Elmhurst, Fia Mia Academy, Helping Hands Cleaning Service, The Katris Law Group, Kelley Stetler Real Estate (Compass), L.W. Reedy Real Estate, Lakeside Bank, Patchwork Therapy, The Roosevelt at Salt Creek, Timothy Christian Schools, Total Window Treatments, Unlimited Heating & Cooling and York & Vallette Business Association.
Elmhurst Cycling Classic
The Elmhurst Cycling Classic will return to the streets around Elmhurst University on Saturday, June 8, with racing from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m.
Umbrella Sky Elmhurst
Since the April 27 opening of Elmhurst City Centre’s Umbrella Sky Elmhurst for 2024 in Elmhurst—done in conjunction with the City of Elmhurst’s Public Arts Commission—our Chamber’s Facebook photo from the Schooler Walkway has generated a record 61,824 impressions and views, 1,434 engagements, more than 370 likes and loves, and 32 shares.
ECCI members Community Bank of Elmhurst, Elmhurst Bank and Lakeside Bank, all with downtown Elmhurst branches, sponsor the Umbrella Sky displays, respectively, in the Schiller Street Walkway, North York Street Plaza and Cottage Hill Avenue Cultural Campus.
March DuPage Hotel Stays Strong
Metrics on hotel stays in Elmhurst and across DuPage County in April showed increases for room demand of 4.7 percent Year Over Year (YOY), average daily rate of 2.2 percent YOY to $112 and revenue per available room (RevPAR) to $72—an April record and 6.2 percent better than the previous record set in 2023—according to data release by the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Consumer spending on travel is up 19 percent for the First Quarter of 2024 as compared to 2023, while Leisure and Entertaining spending dipped three percent, as reported by the Tourism Economics’ Travel Monitor.
Buck-A-Duck Raffle
During 2024, a single Buck-A-Duck winner will split the pot collected at each of our Chamber’s monthly networking events and other selected events.
Jim Worden of Worden Valuation Services and Elmhurst Lions Club won $26 at the May 2 Cinco de Mayo-themed Business After Hours hosted by Ascension Living Casa Scalabrini Village in Northlake.
Happy Anniversary
Four members celebrated Chamber anniversaries in May as follows: 15 years—Guzaitis Dental Group and Science Olympiad; and 10 years—Duly Health and Care and Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry.
New Member
The following business joined our Chamber in May: Green Door Therapy.
Reactivated Members
Elmhurst Children’s Assistance Foundation and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church reactivated their Chamber memberships after hiatuses of four and 16 years, respectively.
Dropped Members
The Chamber dropped one member in May as follows: 302 on Tap and The Stevens Group.