Pilot and Anchor Clubs Hosting Bake Sale, Hot Sandwich Lunch on Nov. 8

La Grange Anchors, pictured here in the Test Kitchen of Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe, on the square in La Grange, are getting prepared to stir and bake their Signature Item: Rich Chocolate Chip Cookies, for the Pilot and Anchor Clubs Bake Sale on November 8. Pictured (from left) are Ty Shrader, Jillian Hightower, Natalia Soto and Landon Von Minden. Baked goodies will be available Wednesday, Nov. 8 beginning at 9 a.m. on the sidewalk at the entrance of Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe. A hot sandwich lunch will also be for sale to go prepared by Le Petite Gourmet.

You have two hands one to help yourself and the second to help others. This simple thought has guided the Pilot and Anchor Clubs of La Grange since the year their clubs were chartered: 1985 for Pilots and 2000 for Anchors. Based on the principles of “Friendship and Service” both clubs have provided community service that has made a difference in the quality of life for many children and adults, especially for those with brain related disorders. Both clubs are thrilled to be able to climb back, albeit slowly, with increased membership and a new energy, after experiencing COVID and its lingering effects.

A signature project of both Pilots and Anchors is “Time Well Spent with Special Friends.” It is simply an afternoon of fun, snacks and supper, dancing, picture bingo, and door prizes that brings together club members and our area’s “special needs” adults, most of which are residing in group homes, along with their dedicated caregivers. The event touches more than 100 adults, and provides the opportunity for club members to cultivate a deeper understanding and feeling of empathy for those living with disabilities and the effects of aging. Pilots and Anchors are thrilled to once again host two of these “Time Well Spent” afternoons each year.

Pilot members understand that the future lies in their Anchor teens and are pleased to help plan and carry out projects that these high school students choose to do. It’s understood that today’s young people want to give back to their community. In other words, Anchors want to “Do More. Care More. Be More.” On the calendar for this school year are the joint Pilot/Anchor Fundraising Bake Sale & Hot Sandwich Lunch on November 8, participation in the Breakfast with Santa sponsored by the City of La Grange, a Cemetery Walk in early Spring, 2024, “Pick me Ups” for the community’s caregivers and security and safety services providers, and the Time Well Spent with Special Friends event. Anchor Club meets monthly for lunch on campus at La Grange High School and is proud to have Mrs. Nicole Rerich as their faculty advisor.

The 2023-24 Anchor Leadership Team includes: Alivia Eindorf, President; Evelyn Williams, President Elect; Teagan Branch and Bianca Veitch, Secretary/Treasurer (Shared Duties); Landon Von Minden, Director of Fund Raising; Edgar Monjaras and Natalie Soto, Directors of Membership; Kaylee Holmes, Director of Service Projects.

Pilot Club has adopted a quarterly schedule for their formal club meetings; however, small and more frequent planning and friendship gatherings are certainly part of the Pilot plan to ring in 2024 with a Share Pilot social event.

The Pilot Club of La Grange, Inc. and it’s Youth Project, Anchor Club, are designated 501(c)3 non-profit organizations.