What recently happened?
The 2024 Pierogi Fest took place July 26-29. It was a long and successful weekend for many vendors with lots of fun for everyone who attended. With over 75 food vendors and over 1,000 menu options, the fest also hosted more than 50 craft vendors.
This year's Pierogi Fest started on Friday with the 30th annual Pierogi Parade. The 40-minute-long parade included many fire trucks, Mr. Pierogi, babushkas, Whiting High School's (WHS) football team, and many more!
Multiple locations also held parking lots to help raise money for their cause. WHS’s Science Olympiad hosted one on 119th Street to raise money.
“It was a great success! The Science Olympiad team appreciates the support from Dr. Jeffrey Stolarz for allowing the team to fundraise for the upcoming season,” said Science Olympiad Coach Jeremy Long.
Saturday night at 8:30 p.m., the band Sugar Ray took to the main stage singing its top-charting songs and multiple covers. Along with Sugar Ray, multiple other bands performed on stages all over the fest.
People who attended had many compliments to give about the weekend’s festivities, saying the fest was amazing and they will be back next year. This event hosted about 300,000 people from all over the country and some from all over the world going back to their Polish roots.
What’s coming up?
Summer break at WHS is officially coming to a close. As WHS students prepare to go back this August, students reflect on this summer and the upcoming school year.
The WHS 2024-2025 school year will begin on August 15. With school starting so soon, students have started planning their goals and what they are looking forward to this year.
“I am looking forward to school now way more than I was in previous years. While it may be because my summer was mostly uneventful, it’s also in part that I enjoyed last school year. I look forward to seeing my friends more often and becoming a bit busier than I was during my summer,” said Junior Andrea Cabrales.
Whiting students also started to plan their goals for this school year.
“My goal this year is to stay in the Top 10. I would also like to try and place first in Optics for Science Olympiad,” said Sophomore Ben Player.
There are also lots of events at WHS for students to look forward to this year. Booster Club will run football games with many fun themes, as well as spirit weeks and other sports and dances.
“I'm looking forward to AfroCentric Union (ACU), Art Club, and maybe Drama. I miss my members of the ACU, very much. I hope we can reconnect and make even more memories,” said Senior M. “Wreith” Barbee.
The 2024-2025 school year at WHS is one to look forward to.
Community member spotlight:
Jean Lovasko is a former WHS librarian and a wonderful member of the community. Lovasko has lived in Whiting her whole life – she loves her small town and her ability to walk wherever she likes. She also said Whiting is a great place with so much to offer.
“Since I was a little girl, I have loved living in Whiting. Whiting has so much to offer. It is a community full of the arts, festivals, and fun. It is a town, a city, a neighborhood. It is Whiting; a true definition of the word community,” Lovasko said.
As a former high school librarian, her love for books started as a little girl. Lovasko says her favorite place to walk as a kid was the library, surrounding herself with books and coming home with an arm full.
During the summer, Lovasko joined the Pierogi Fest as a babushka and was in the first Pierogi Fest 30 years ago. After the first parade, she began to help at St. John Church to run its Haluski Booth.
Shortly after, Lavasko began to work in the Chamber of Commerce souvenir booth. During this time she was named the WHS librarian. She began sponsoring classes and selling Haluski, shredding pounds of cabbage and earning enough money to host the prom.
“I love being a babushka,” Lovasko said. “It is a tiring weekend but so worthwhile. I am privileged to meet people from all over the country. Many people said that I remind them of their grandmother; it’s a great honor!”
Along with being the school librarian, Lovasko also taught a few classes. She said she enjoyed her time at WHS and her time with each student.
“I loved being the librarian as well as teaching classes,” Polasko said. “One of my favorite aspects of my job was getting the right book into a student's hand. Since being retired, I miss my job, students, and teaching every day.”
Be sure to look for Lovasko next year at Pierogi Fest!
