As of 2:30pm on Saturday, March 14
compiled by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (March 14, 2020) – We are doing our best to help local organizations keep the public informed about event cancellations or other necessary changes in response to the potential spread of COVID-19. We will update and re-release this list as we receive more information.
Events are listed in general chronological order.
St. Ann Church—formal liturgies suspended
Beginning today (Saturday), St. Ann Church and all churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago have suspended formal liturgies. St. Ann Church will be open for private prayer during regularly scheduled Mass times:
- Monday–Friday at 7:30am
- Saturday at 4:00pm
- Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30am
Personal devotions, such as Friday Stations of the Cross and Wednesday evening Rosary, may proceed uninterrupted, but should involve no physical contact.
Confessions will be heard behind the screen at 3:00pm on Saturdays as usual.
Cardinal Cupich posted the following announcement:
St. Ann’s Casino Night at the Palace—postponed
The event was to take place Saturday night at the Dream Palace in Lynwood. All tickets will be honored at the new date when St. Ann is able to schedule. The annual Pot of Gold drawing that was to occur at the event has been postponed and will happen as soon as people are allowed to gather.
Early Voting—hours extended
In order to offset crowds on Tuesday, March 17 (Election Day), Lansing’s Early Voting location has extended hours on Saturday and Sunday:
- Saturday, March 14: 9:00am–7:00pm
- Sunday, March 15: 9:00am–7:00pm
Early Voting is also available on Monday, March 16, 9:00–5:00pm.
Location: The glass-walled Quiet Room on the second floor of Lansing Public Library, 2750 Indiana Avenue, Lansing, Illinois.
St. Ann School—closed
Effective Monday, St. Ann students will engage in e-learning activities from home. The weekly Religious Education program will also be suspended, and the upcoming Confirmation retreat rescheduled.
Theatre at the Center events—cancelled or postponed
Read the full list at the story posted March 13.
District 215—closed through March 30, meal services still available
In accordance with Governor Pritzker’s announcement, District 215 schools will be closed from March 17 through March 30. The district’s regularly scheduled Spring Break will run from March 30 through April 3.
In addition, a letter from Superintendent Teresa Lance shared these details: “We want to reassure our families that we will provide grab and go meals to our students for pick-up between 10:30am–12:30pm Monday through Friday from March 16 through March 30. These meals will include both breakfast and lunch. You may pick up a grab and go meal at your nearest Thornton Fractional 215 location.”
Lance continued, “…Staff are diligently working now to develop a plan to provide instruction, whether through an e-learning platform or sharing of instructional resources, to our students. Once we finalize this information, you will receive follow-up correspondence from your child’s school.”
TF South Principal Jake Gourley added this in his email to TF South families: “I am sure you have many questions about the days ahead, and I want to assure you that the D.215 team is working diligently behind the scenes to provide answers and solutions. …Updates will be posted continually on the www.tfd215.org website. Faculty and staff will all be reporting as normal on Monday, March 16, to develop e-learning strategies and learn more about plans for onsite and remote operations during the closure.”
See also District 215 answers to frequently asked questions.
District 158—closed for students through March 30
See the March 13 release, which includes information from Superintendent Nathan Schilling.
District 171—closed for students through March 30
From the Sunnybrook School District 171 Facebook page: “Good day parents, staff and students. In response to the Governor’s directive, Sunnybrook School District will be closed starting Monday, March 16, 2020, until March 30, 2020. The District is activating our eLearning Plan effective Tuesday. In addition, Spring Break starts immediately thereafter. Therefore school will resume for students on Monday, April 6, 2020. Please note the school will be closed starting Monday, March 16, 2020. If you should have questions, please contact the District Office at 708-895-0750. To learn more about our eLearning Plan or to get access to resources please visit the District website at sd171.org.
Lansing Christian School—closed, starting Tuesday, March 17
Classes at the school have been cancelled, as has the Cultural Fair that was scheduled for the evening of March 17. Sports games, tournaments, and band and choir concerts have been cancelled through the end of March.
From the Lansing Christian School Facebook page: “The CART store will be open on Monday morning but then closed till further notice. The scheduled CART monthly order WILL NOT GO OUT ON Tuesday, March 17. More information will be given out later as to when that order will be placed.”
Chamber Business Expo—rescheduled
“Due to the outbreak of the Corona Virus we are postponing our 3rd annual Business Expo,” wrote Chamber Director Amy Todd in an email to participants. “The health and safety of our community is our first concern. We will announce a new date very soon. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.” The event had been scheduled for Wednesday, March 18.
Leslie Goddard as Eleanor Roosevelt event—cancelled
This joint event sponsored by the Lansing Historical Society and hosted by the Lansing Public Library was scheduled for March 23. Because of the likely age of attendees and the possibility of at least 200 attending, library staff spoke with Ms. Goddard and agreed to cancel the event.
South Suburban College—extending Spring Break
South Suburban College (SSC) is extending its Spring Break for students through March 22, 2020 as a precaution related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The college is also implementing a Spring Break for all Adult Education classes next week. Students with a clinical rotation will be contacted with more details. SSC will remain open and maintain standard operating hours. All employees will continue working through the extended break. Classes will resume on March 23 to keep the Spring 2020 Semester on schedule. The college is working to ensure all credit classes may be offered in an online format, if necessary. All campus events scheduled through March 22 are postponed. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men’s Basketball National Tournament—which was scheduled for next week in Danville, Illinois—has also been postponed. Currently, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 at SSC. Visit www.ssc.edu for ongoing updates.
LARC Annual Appreciation Dinner—rescheduled
LARC posted the following information on their Facebook page: “LARC shares a very strong sense of responsibility to its clients, staff, families, donors, volunteers and the community at large. As a result, we will be rescheduling our Appreciation Dinner, which was to be held on Friday, April 24. …Those who have already made their reservations may contact us for an immediate refund, or may do so following the announcement of our new date, should they not be available.” LARC is still accepting ad book sponsorships and in-kind donations for the Silent Auction that is a traditional part of the Annual Appreciation Dinner. LARC is located at 19043 Wentworth Avenue. Questions can be directed to the Development Office: 708-474-1540 or [email protected].
South Holland Master Chorale—rehearsals and concerts cancelled
Director Albert Jackson consulted with the Chorale’s Board president, and together they agreed to suspend rehearsals effective immediately and, as a result, cancel the June concerts. “This may come as a relief to some and as an aggravation to others,” Jackson wrote, “but given the number of worldwide unknowns at this point in time, there is no other sensible course remaining to me. In my 40+ years of ‘swinging the stick,’ I cannot ever remember cancelling a concert, so I did not arrive at this decision lightly.”
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