In compliance with Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker’s rollback of reopening in Will and Kankakee counties, Ateki will be postponing the Veteran’s Appreciation BBQ event that we had scheduled for August 31, 2020, at our Ateki Offices, located at 684 W Boughton Rd Ste 100 Bolingbrook, IL 60440. The event will tentatively be rescheduled for November 11, 2020, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the same location. There will be more information to come in the coming months.
Ateki has been working closely with the Village of Bolingbrook, the Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce, American Legion Post 1288, and Bolingbrook VFW Post 5917 to safely coordinate a Veteran’s Appreciation Event. The original event that was scheduled for August 29, 2020, and is held at the Village of Bolingbrook grounds behind Village Hall, was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ateki owner, Anthony L. D’Andrea, being a veteran himself and a current member of both the American Legion Post 1288 and Bolingbrook VFW Post 5917, felt that a smaller version of the event could still be held and offered to have Ateki host and sponsor the scaled-down event.
“It is important to always keep our military service members, their families, and most importantly our veterans in mind, especially during a crisis. These are all Americans that have volunteered to serve our country or have had a loved one serving. Military and veteran needs can be difficult for others to understand. PTSD, mental health issues, medical issues, physical disabilities, and more can be a very real part of a veteran’s day-to-day life. It is my calling to try and help, as best I can to make a difference, even if I can only make a change in one person’s life. Recent data has shown that our United States Service Members and United States Veterans comprise nearly a quarter of suicide deaths in the United States. This needs to be addressed now and by encouraging comradery, support, compassion, and strength in our veteran organizations, we can do our best to help those who volunteered in support of our freedom.” stated Mr. D’Andrea on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, shortly after learning about the rollback in Will County
Moving forward, Ateki will continue to work closely with local and state recommendations to ensure safety in our communities and for our military families and veterans. Please take this opportunity to reach out to all of the veterans you may know and simply ask how they are doing or if they need anything in these difficult times.