Antioch civic groups: New rules fund-raising ‘hardship’

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Updated: November 10, 2011 10:44AM

Representatives from local civic organizations have told Antioch officials they will take a big financial hit if they can’t conduct their annual fund-raisers at some of the village’s busiest intersections.

Recently revised village regulations prohibit any organization from collecting funds at busy intersections along Route 173. The village allows representatives from local non-profit groups to stand in the roadways collecting funds for charity, but complaints from motorists and safety concerns led them to tighten the rules in June.

With the Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll drive scheduled this weekend followed by the Lions Club candy days in October, representatives claim the new regulations will halve their annual revenues used to benefit local charities.

“This is a hardship for us. We are going to be adversely affected big-time,” said Antioch Lions Club President David Karczewski.

“The Route 173 and 83 intersection generates more income for us than any other location in the area,” said Knights of Columbus spokesman Larry Albrecht. “This is going to hurt us and the local charities we support.”

The complaints may lead to another revision of the ordinance as early as Monday’s Village Board meeting. “I’ll put together some proposed changes for the board to review,” said Village Attorney Robert Long.

“If Route 173 and 83 is the golden goose and if eliminating it is a hardship, let’s open it up again and look at some solution to this problem,” said Trustee Dennis Crosby. “Keep in mind, we made these changes because we want to keep people safe, including motorists.”

However, the revisions were made without input from local service organizations.

“It’s a lesson learned,” admitted Trustee Mary Dominiak. “We should have talked first to local people involved in these activities.”

Pedestrian solicitations in busy intersections, high speed and distracted drivers are not a good combination, said Mayor Lawrence Hanson. “It’s only a matter of time before there is an accident. It is not safe,” he said, But, he conceded, the groups have successfully solicited donations at intersections along Route 173 for decades without any problems.

It was other fund-raising activity that initially motivated the board to prohibit the Route 173 solicitations, said Trustee Scott Pierce. “I put safety first and made that decision based on seeing kids representing other organizations racing back and forth through intersections.

“But I have stood out there myself collecting donations for the Lions Club and I know the majority of money comes from these busy intersections.”

“Both of our groups have been doing this for decades,” said Lions Club representative Bob McCarty. “We don’t dash in and out of traffic. We know how to solicit safely.”

Trustees agreed to review revisions to the ordinance, including an age restriction for fund-raiser participants, but it won’t be in time for the Knights of Columbus event this weekend. “We can live with that for this year, and we will try some new intersections for our fund-raiser,” said Albrecht, “but I don’t think we are in any more danger than high school students crossing Route 83 at 173 to go to McDonald’s.”