Fund-raiser set for Antioch High’s Freedom Shrine

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Lakes Community High School Freedom Shrine.

Updated: April 10, 2012 11:56AM

ALL (Antioch, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst) Exchange Club is holding its first communitywide event to raise funds for a Freedom Shrine at Antioch Community High School.

A pancake breakfast will be held Sunday, Feb. 19, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the VFW Hall, 75 North Ave., Antioch.

The Freedom Shrine is a collection of 32 framed historic documents from the 1600s to 1900s, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as other lesser-known documents like the Treaty of Paris and the Emancipation Proclamation.

“They are the windows to America’s past,” said ALL Club President Millie Lang. “We donated a wall last year to Lakes Community High School, and when the administration at Antioch saw it they wanted a wall for their school, too.”

Thousands of freedom shrines have been donated by Exchange Clubs throughout the U..S and Puerto Rico. The idea for the shrine originated from the Freedom Train, which toured the country in 1947 carrying an exhibit of the “documents of liberty.”

Lang said the documents give an overview of our country’s history and give Americans, including students, the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of American citizenship.

“With this new project we are getting a lot of good response from area businesses and support from the schools. The school is very much behind the project and members from the National Honor Society will be helping us serve and wait on tables at the breakfast. This is good exposure for our new club,” said Lang.

Cost of the shrine is $1,200 and all proceeds from the breakfast will go toward the project. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for children. Tickets will be sold at the door.

ALL Exchange Club organized in September 2010, an offshoot of seven other Lake County Exchange Clubs.

President-elect Penny Grant said she hopes an offshoot of the breakfast and the local shrine projects will create more interest in the club.

“We have about 300 members in clubs all over Lake County, but I think the general public doesn’t know what our purpose is, and we would like to get the word out to people with a passion to serve their community.”

The main focus of the organization is prevention of child abuse, but it was originally founded more than 100 years ago to support Americanism, community service and youth activities.

Members organized the Lake County Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse in 2001, and participate locally in raising awareness of the Safe Haven Law and working with the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation.

The organization also distributes informational literature, awards scholarships and grants to deserving youth.

ALL Exchange Club has about 20 members and meets twice monthly at 5:45 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday at Lake House Restaurant, 850 Tower Drive, Lake Villa.