On Saturday, August 18th, I had the pleasure of participating in the first annual Lake County Juvenile Court picnic. This event was organized and run by the staff of dedicated professionals on the grounds of the Lake County Juvenile Correctional Center.
Special shout out to Judge Tom Stefaniak for managing to get dozens of motorcycles and antique / specialized cars to come to the grounds for a motorcycle and car show.
You may think having a picnic inside of a Juvenile Correctional Center would be an odd choice, but it made all the sense in the world to be able to show the kids currently incarcerated at the center that there could be a way of life other than what they were given up to this point. Kids only know what they are taught at home and their surrounding environment, and unfortunately that doesn’t necessarily come with positive role models by default.
In addition to the great barbecue that is a necessity for any picnic there was a variety of activities that attendees could participate in. From horses, to goldfish races, to photo booths, to the DJ playing music is was an outstanding day for all!
Due to the inmates being juveniles, I was not able to get pictures of the other activities. This was a really profound day for me and really makes you think about the decisions you make in life. It is my sincere hope that we in some small way made an impression on the kids and help them decide for themselves what path they want to take in life. I am wishing all of them the best.
