Empowerment Zone Celebrates 11 Years of Success

The Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone (SIDEZ) is hosting an 11 Year Celebration at Shawnee Community College on September 16, 2010. The festivities will begin at 5:30 PM in the Atrium with displays featuring projects completed by organizations as a result of the empowerment zone. Light refreshments will be served.

A program will be held in the Education Center at 6:15 PM. USDA Rural Development Illinois State Director Colleen Callahan will be the keynote speaker. A multi-media retrospective of the empowerment zone will be shown. The celebration will end with a no-host social hour and dinner at Wineaux's Restaurant in Belknap. SMART will provide bus transportation to Wineaux's and back to Shawnee Community College for a small fee.

SIDEZ President Ernie Henshaw, speaking on behalf of the SIDEZ Board of Directors, stated, "We would like to invite all past board members, staff, USDA personnel, agency partners, businesses, community groups and the general public to come and celebrate with us. The empowerment zone initiative was a collaborative effort and there is much success to celebrate." The Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone received its federal designation in December 1998. The designation expired December 31, 2009. If you plan to attend the Celebration, please call SIDEZ at 866-407-1450 or e-mail SIDEZ at djraynalds@sidezoffice.org to assist staff with planning.