Harlem senior named winner of Young at Heart button design contest

By Melanie Bradley

Editor

MACHESNEY PARK – Harlem High School student Grant Hume was named the winner of the annual Young at Heart festival admission button contest and was presented with a $100 prize and certificate in recognition of his effort at a press conference at Harlem last Wednesday morning.

Members of the Parks Chamber of Commerce, along with Loves Park Mayor Darryl Lindberg and school officials, were on hand to congratulate Hume.

“I’ve been doing this since it started, and I’m always amazed at the talent of our young adults,” Mayor Lindberg said. “Harlem produces some wonderful, wonderful people.”

Harlem’s art students, under the direction of teacher Barb Kurilla, are invited to enter designs.

Parks Chamber Executive Director Diana Johnson welcomed those present and discussed the button design and how it was unique.

“Our button this year is a very different button than we’ve ever had,” Johnson said. “We were very happy with the colors and the clouds, and the Chamber would like to recognize Grant Hume, a senior, as the designer of the button.”

This year’s button has a sky blue background with clouds that form the shape of a heart, and other images that symbolize the festival, including an airplane reminiscent of the old Machesney Park airport, as well as images of Midway rides.

Hume was humble in his acceptance, thanking everyone for the honor.

Kurilla commended Hume on his creativity and said he had put in hours and hours of work on the project before and after school. This is the first year he’s taken art, and he plans to major in business administration and videography when he goes to college at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tenn. next year. He is the son of Wayne and Angela Hume.

Once the design is chosen, the buttons are produced by students at the Easter Seals Autism Therapeutic School. In past years, they were made by Easter Seals students in Tinley Park, however, this year the process was done at the Rockford facility.

Johnson also announced that Ike and Lisa Trickie will be the Platinum sponsor of the festival again for the eighth consecutive year and that country singer Chase Bryant will be the headlining act on Saturday, May 28, Country Day.