‘An Evening for Illiana’ gives constituents opportunity to say farewell to Lansing building

by Melanie Jongsma with Kylie Boss, Illiana journalism student

LANSING, Ill. (May 7, 2018) – On April 24, with tours of the 1948 building and the 1967 addition, and acknowledgment of past and present Illiana teachers, and the opening of a 1948 time capsule, Illiana friends and families had a chance to relive memories of the high school’s 70-year history in Lansing. “An Evening for Illiana” is an annual dinner and fundraising event for the school. This year the organizers also made it a farewell to the old building. Starting this fall, the Illiana campus will be located in Dyer, Indiana.

Toward the end of the April 24 dinner, Principal Peter Boonstra opened a time capsule that had been planted in January of 1948. The sealed metal box had to be cut open with a power saw; amid its contents was a copy of a 1948 Lansing Journal whose front page story announced the dedication ceremonies for the then-new building. “School To Fill Community Need For Christian Ed.,” read the subhead.

Boonstra affirmed that Illiana will continue to serve families from Lansing, South Holland, Highland, and other towns, just as they always have. “We just felt we needed a different location to do that from,” he said. “Unfortunately for the people of Lansing, that’s not going to be in their town anymore. But hopefully they’ll still think of us as a school in their area.”
A ribbon-cutting is scheduled at the new campus on August 20, and a dedication of the new campus has been scheduled for September 15.

The new campus address is 10920 Calumet Avenue, Dyer, Indiana 46311.