Amy Todd (left) and Susan Thompson announced the arrival of Lansing-opoly at the Lansing Area Chamber office in mid-November. (Photo: Sue Seymour)
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (December 5, 2019) – Just in time for holiday gift-giving, cases of Lansing-opoly board games arrived at the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Director Amy Todd and Chamber Board President Susan Thompson posted the good news on Facebook along with information about how to pick up and/or purchase a copy.
Lansing-opoly vouchers can now be redeemed at the Chamber office. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Lansing residents who had pre-ordered a game by purchasing a $20 voucher were invited to bring their voucher to the Chamber office at 18155 Roy Street and exchange it for a game. The Chamber office is regularly open from 9:00am–3:00pm, Monday through Friday, though stoppers-by are encouraged to phone first (708-474-4170) to make sure staff are onsite.
Todd has also added evening Lansing-opoly hours at the Chamber office on Wednesday, December 11, from 5:00–7:00pm.
Lansing-opoly is a customized version of a well-known board game, using Lansing businesses, street names, and landmarks. Local organizations purchased space on the board from the Chamber this summer, and those purchases covered the cost of producing the game. Instead of Boardwalk, Indiana Avenue, and Water Works, Lansing-opoly players will land on locations such as Calumet Bakery, Minuteman Press, and Lan-Oak Park. The Community Chest cards have been replaced by Thornton Township cards, and Chance cards are indicated as “Breaking news” from The Lansing Journal. Thirty-five spaces were available at a range of prices, and they sold out within two weeks.Lansing-opoly is an actual, playable board game that has been customized with Lansing references. The board game cover features photos of Lansing icons and events. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Local organizations purchased space on the board from the Chamber this summer, and those purchases covered the cost of producing the game. Selling the game is a way for the Lansing Area Chamber to raise funds for programs that build community in Lansing. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)
The game cards include references to Lansing events, and the Lansing-opoly money features the iconic face of Gayety’s James Papageorge. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)Hundreds of vouchers were sold once the Lansing-opoly concept was introduced, and now that the actual game is available, interest has spiked again. Residents who didn’t pre-order and don’t have a voucher can purchase a game for $25.00. The Chamber accepts cash or checks.
According to Todd, this is a limited-time opportunity. Planning and designing the game was a lengthy, detailed process, and storing cases of games is unwieldy in the Chamber office, so there are no plans to produce more copies of Lansing-opoly. “Once they are gone, they are gone,” says Todd.
And Todd encourages people who already purchased a game voucher this summer to pick up their copy of Lansing-opoly by the end of the year.The Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 18155 Roy Street in Lansing, Illinois. (Photo: Melanie Jongsma)
Melanie Jongsma grew up in Lansing, Illinois, and believes The Lansing Journal has an important role to play in building community through trustworthy information.
