Laura Inlow, Author at Junior League of Greater Alton

Bowling Benefit to Welcome Kids for the First Time

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Laura Inlow

The Junior League of Greater Alton will host its fifth annual bowling fundraiser Saturday, June 16, at Bowl Haven Lanes in Alton.

New this year, the event also is open to children. Three games and shoe rental are included and bumpers will be available for children. The format will again be team-focused scotch doubles, where players alternate shots. Prizes will be awarded to top teams, and there will be many other opportunities to go home a winner with basket raffles, 50/50, and heads or tails games throughout the evening.

Read the full story

Bucket Brigade Comes Full Circle for Volunteer

Posted on May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 by Laura Inlow

ALTON – Diana Kay loves her little house in the 3600 block of Horn Avenue in Alton – and especially so after Saturday’s annual Bucket Brigade event.

“It’s such an amazing gift,” she said of the annual day of donated paint-slinging. “It’s something that just freshens the house up to where it almost looks new. It was way more than I ever could have expected.”

It’s the 30th year of the original Bucket Brigade effort, founded by then-Pride Inc. President Dale Neudecker. Since then, the teams have gathered each May to paint nearly 1,500 homes.

Kay, herself, had a hand in more than a few of those.

She’d painted in Alton Bucket Brigades herself since high school. Her father led a Boy Scout troop that did the same.

“It was neat to be on that side of it, and do it for people who couldn’t do it themselves,” the career healthcare provider, with expertise in hospice work, said.

But even with her seemingly unbreakably bubbly spirit, her sentences stifle when describing what it means to be a Bucket Brigade recipient.

“I’m getting choked up,” she confides. “It was neat to be a part of it from that standpoint, and just do something for somebody. And then, a couple years ago, I found out I had a brain tumor and had a couple of strokes. Now, I can’t do that, but I need it done. These guys stepped up and are doing it for me. It’s all so incredible.”

Kay’s home, which she cheekily proclaimed the nicest on her street, was polished and painted by a team from the Junior League of Greater Alton, a loyal member of the Bucket Brigade.

Read the full story in The Telegraph

League of Their Own: Q & A with Emily Hejna

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Laura Inlow

Emily Hejna has been an officer with the Alton Police Department since 2007. The path that led her to this vocation was a bit different than most, as is the trail she is leaving now for those who follow. She recently spent a few minutes sharing pieces of her journey so far.

Hejna said she was “a born and raised Alton-Godfrey gal.” Her parents are both from Alton, and she and her brother have chosen to raise their families in Alton. “I left for a little bit for college and immediately following, but there’s no place like home and I couldn’t stay away,” said Hejna.

Since moving back in 2006, she has become deeply rooted in the community, professionally and personally. Hejna serves on the school board at Evangelical Elementary in Godfrey and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Greater Alton.

Past President Honored as a Woman of Distinction

Posted on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Laura Inlow

ALTON – Alton native Lisa Nielsen has clocked an illustrious 20-plus-year law career with firm Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., with one of her practice specialties being environment and natural resource issues – but that’s just the very tip of the iceberg regarding Nielsen’s dedication to supporting the Alton area’s future.

According to her biography, Nielsen has served on the Sheldon Foundation Board, the United Way of Greater St. Louis Board, Ss. Peter and Paul’s Finance Council, and is a past president and former member of the Junior League of Greater Alton. She currently serves as the president of Ss. Peter and Paul School Board as well as serves on the Board of the Great Rivers Land Trust.

JLGA Organizing Annual Wine and Beer Tasting Event

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Laura Inlow

ALTON – The Junior League of Greater Alton will host its 6th Annual Uncorked and Uncapped wine and beer tasting fundraiser, Sunday, April 29, at Old Bakery Beer Company.

All persons over 21 years of age are invited to join JLGA for an afternoon of food, beverages, and comradery for a cause. The Old Bakery Beer Company is providing both the venue and the beer samplings. Wine tastings will be provided by Koerner Distributor.

“Our committee and community partners have really worked together to make this annual event a success,” said Katie Gibson-Boley, Uncorked and Uncapped Chair of the Junior League of Greater Alton. “The day is all about having fun, but also illuminating the issues affecting our area and helping those in need.”

The event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. and tickets are available for $25 from any Junior League member or online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3366894.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Contact Gibson-Boley for details at (618) 980-3922 or kboley406@gmail.com.

All proceeds support programs throughout the Riverbend area benefitting women and children.

“We’re very excited for the opportunity to partner with The Old Bakery Beer Company for this year’s event,” said JLGA Vice President Laura Inlow. “The money raised will help the Junior League of Greater Alton train and empower our members as civic leaders to make a positive impact for women and children throughout the region. We hope to see you there!”

More details about Uncorked and Uncapped can be found at www.facebook.com/JuniorLeagueGreaterAlton/ and http://juniorleaguealton.org/community-impact/current-projects/uncorkeduncapped/.

The Junior League of Greater Alton, established in 1952, is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to empowering women and making the community in and around the Riverbend a better place for a diverse population of children and their families. Upon researching the area’s needs, JLGA most recently teamed up with Lewis and Clark Community College’s GED program to help improve family literacy in the region. JLGA is a chapter of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. and is dedicated to the training and development of local women leaders and volunteers making an impact in the community.

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JLGA Empowering Future Female Leaders

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Laura Inlow

JLGA recently purchased books about important women in history who broke through racial, social and economic barriers for Riverbend Head Start & Family Services in honor of Women’s History Month.