On November 13th, we partnered with Brama La Pizza in downtown Clarendon Hills to put on an evening of giving. This event meant a lot to me personally—we decided to put it together after the untimely and unexpected passing of a dear friend of mine.
Mark Koschik was a fellow Hinsdale Falcons coach, a loving husband, a devoted father, and a proud resident of Clarendon Hills. On September 29, at age 47, Mark passed away suddenly while doing what he loved: coaching his son’s football team. “Finish the drive!” he yelled.
It was my goal to do just that.
Mark highly valued education. As a coach, Mark guided and supported our kids. As a community, I wanted to find a way to do the same for his kids. So, we organized “Make a Mark” – an evening of giving to benefit the children of Mark Koschik.
For this event, Brama La Pizza graciously agreed to donate 20% of all dine-in, carry-out, and delivery sales between 5-10 pm on November 13th to Mark’s children’s college funds. Mike McCurry Group as well as several others in the community committed to matching the evening’s donation amount.
Thanks to the generosity of Angelo at Brama La Pizza, 26 matching donors, and the countless people who enjoyed Brama’s fantastic food for dinner on November 13th…we were able to contribute a sizable donation to the college funds of Mark’s children: Ryan, Brady, and Lauren.
This financial gift that we were able to give as a community rallying behind the Koschik family is nothing short of remarkable. It was a humbling experience to be able to finish the drive for my friend Mark.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m left reflecting on how grateful I am to be a part of such a generous, compassionate, and genuinely awesome community.
Thank you to each and every one of you who make this area a wonderful place to call home.