Did you know? Illinois is home to 10 of the best ‘larger than life’ attractions

Illinois is home to the first Ferris wheel, Abraham Lincoln’s house and “The Bean” in Chicago, but did you know Illinois also contains some amazing, and less well-known, tourist attractions? When driving around our great state, one can come across some cool and peculiar things that will definitely make you want to stop and take a look. Illinois has 10 larger than life attractions that everyone should go see when they have the chance.

Of these attractions is the world’s largest rocking chair, a statue of the world’s tallest man, Robert Wadlow (who was born in Illinois), the largest bottle of ketchup, the world’s largest wind chime and the world’s largest wooden shoes! Looking to send mail? In Illinois you can also find the world’s largest mailbox. Illinois truly does have attractions that are larger than life. If we ever need to host a giant, we will be prepared. The wooden shoes featured above are 11.5 feet long and 5.5 feet wide.

To read more about the 10 larger than life attractions every Illinoisan needs to see, click here.

Chicago doctor uplifts young patients by transforming casts into works of art

Kids who leave Chicago Hospital have found something even better to have on their casts than their friends’ signatures: Elsa from “Frozen,” Lightning McQueen, dinosaurs, SpongeBob and Patrick, a shark, Captain America’s shield and even more fun animated characters. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Felicity Fishman at Shriners Children’s Chicago also doubles as an artist. Following their surgeries, children will receive a fun art piece of their choosing.

The process to draw on their cast is the main show — even more time and planning goes into it than the surgery. Before the surgery, the doctor, physician’s assistant and nurses will talk to families about what their child might want so they have something to look forward to instead or being nervous for the procedure. Then the pre-op nurses will prepare marker colors and help plan the outline. Finally, Dr. Fishman brings the art to life.

The simple happiness this process brings to the children and staff has been invaluable. These designs also give the children a sense of choice and bodily autonomy in a scary situation for them before surgery. The simplest tasks can bring about the most joy, and this doctor and her team are doing their part not only to fix physical injuries, but also to bring about joy in their part of Illinois.

Chicago high school athletes encourage younger students’ love of reading

Chicago high school athletes are taking time out of their busy school and sporting schedule to help mentor and promote a love of reading in younger students. They have been giving their time and energy to encourage elementary school students in Englewood to read.

One such student athlete read “Llama Llama Red Pajama” to kindergarten students in Englewood on Wednesday, April 12. The students sat and listened eagerly to the story, while also enjoying a pizza party. This visit was just one in a regular series of commitment from high school athletes to encourage younger students to read.

These mentors are already seeing great results in their young pupils. Teachers say it is very beneficial for the younger students to hear from and look up to the older kids. At Dulles Elementary, many teachers say their students were struggling with their reading before the visits, and now many of them are reading above their grade level. The younger classes compete to have the most reading minutes every month in order to win a prize, such as the pizza party in the kindergarten class.

Back in October, the high school students donated around 3,000 books to Dulles Elementary and each classroom now has their own mini library of books for students to check out and bring home. Reading opens up new worlds to young children, and their older mentors are inspiring a love of learning and reading!

Illinois Student Athletes win big at Illinois State Archery Tournament

The National Archery in the Schools Program, aimed at improving educational performance among students in grades 4 – 12 through archery, had its Illinois State Tournament March 25 and 26.

Champaign Centennial High School won first place at the tournament, where the team scored 3,400 during the two days.

Champaign Central High School scored 3,390 points putting them in second place and East Dubuque High School finished in third with 3,329.

Edison Middle School in Champaign won first place in the middle school division, scoring 3,332. Jefferson Middle School in Champaign took second place with a score of 3,297 and East Dubuque students took third with a score of 3,250.

In the elementary school division, East Dubuque won first place, scoring 2,844. Next Generation School in Champaign finished second with a score of 2,798 and Armstrong-Potomac in Vermilion County finished third with 2,769.

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