Lightford hosts 10th Annual Back to School Event

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) hosted her 10th Annual Back to School Event on July 28 at Brookfield Zoo.

Guests received free parking, entry to the zoo, lunch, age-appropriate book bags with school supplies and t-shirts. In honor of the 10th year of the event, guests were also able to attend Brick Safari and the Hamill Family Wild Encounters exhibits free of cost. Additionally, Brookfield Zoo provided Animal Ambassadors that walked through the registration line and had a small exhibit near the vendors with animals that could be touched and interacted with.

Meijer was the premier event sponsor. Additional sponsors were Pepsi, Next Level Health, Stand for Children, Ameren Illinois, Nicor, Peoples Gas, The Roosevelt Group and Madiar Governmental Relations, LLC.

Over 750 guests attended the event and about 60 volunteers, including Meijer staff, the 4th District Committee and non-committee affiliates that assisted with the event.

Guests were hosted at three luncheon times, one of which included a visit from Governor J.B. Pritzker who made remarks, took photos and passed out school supplies to attendees.
Participants also had the opportunity to visit with vendors who provided information, resources, giveaways and screenings.

Below is the list of vendors who were in attendance:

• Black Star Project
• Cook County Health Systems
• Illini Health Care
• Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (Division of Banking- Legislative Services)
• Illinois Department of Public Health (UIC) (Mobile Care Foundation/Agape/ Beyond Care)
• Illinois State Police
• Loyola Hospital
• Merdian Health
• Next Level Health
• Pillars Community Health
• Proviso Lyden Council Community Action (PLCCA)
• Riveredge Hospital
• Senator Kimberly A. Lightford, 4th Senate District Office
• The Answer Inc.
• Traci’s House
• University of Chicago at Chicago Chance Program
• Wellcare

Nominations for the 10th Annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Award Celebration now open

• Event
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Grandparents come in all shapes, colors, sizes and ages. One thing that they all have in common is that they are caring for children that they most likely had not intended on raising. There are over 274,891 grandparents in the state of Illinois raising their grandchildren. Please nominate a grandparent that has demonstrated unselfish love and dedication to their grandchildren. The nominee will be honored at the 10th Annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Award Celebration.

The celebration will be held on Sunday September 8, 2019, at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 73, 4550 W. Roosevelt Road, Hillside, IL 60162 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. All nominations are to be received no later than August 30, 2019. Please fax to (708) 343-7400 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sen. Lightford's office at (708) 343-7444.

Download the nomination form by clicking here.

Lightford law helps abused children report their abusers

SPRINGFIELD – Children taken into protective custody under suspicion of abuse could soon take part in a forensic interview without parental consent as a result of legislation by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).

House Bill 909, signed by the governor on Friday, addresses issues in cases where an abused minor’s parents do not wish for the child to participate in a criminal investigation that may implicate a family member or close friend.

“No one should feel obligated to protect their abuser when participating in a criminal investigation,” Lightford said. “Unfortunately, our children are often put in a position where they do not feel empowered to report their abuser and we’re hoping to bring that to an end.”

A forensic interview is an interview between a trained forensic interviewer and a child in which the interviewer obtains information in an unbiased and fact-finding manner, with the goal of supporting accurate and fair decision-making by caseworkers in the criminal justice and child protection systems.

The measure goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

10th Annual Back to School Event

• Events

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) hosts her 10th Annual Back-to-School Event on Sunday, July 28 at Brookfield Zoo.

Please note: The official date for the event is Sunday, July 28.