Stephen Smith Family Fun Run: A Story of Loss & Hope

Join RIG with our friends Frank and Emily Smith on Saturday, April 21st for the Stephen Smith Family Fun Run, a great 5K race with the purpose of giving hope to those who have suffered the loss of an unborn baby.

Check out the video below to hear

Frank & Emily's  hope-filled story!

RACE DETAILS:

The starting line is at the Hilda Walker Intermediate School

19900 S 80th Ave
Tinley Park, IL 60487

•3.1 mile run/walk race on paved bike paths
•Safe course, no busy streets to cross
•Registration from 8:30-9:00 am
•Announcements 9:00 am
•Race begins at 9:30 am
•Awards and Raffles 11:00-11:30 am
•There will be fun outdoor games for the the kids and a massage booth set up after the race ($1 per minute, all proceeds going to Heavenly Brothers)

*Stroller/Wagons = Free
*No Dogs
•Runners/walkers registering after March 23 will not be eligible for a T-Shirt
•Day of race fees will be $35 (onsite only)

•We ask that you email us a name and/or date of anyone you know who has had a miscarriage or stillbirth.

New This Year (2018)
In honor of the 5th Annual Stephen Smith Family Fun Run, we are having long sleeve shirts vs. short sleeves. Please register in time to guarantee your long sleeve shirt!!

Client Highlight: Thoughtful Christmas Gifts from Crete Garden Center!

Need a thoughtful gift or some tasty stocking stuffers this Christmas? Check out some of the products our good friends over at Crete Garden Center are carrying! They're the only vendor in Illinois for McCutcheon's Products, who tout some of the the tastiest preserves, jellies and jams around. Josh Rietveld, Co-Owner along with his father, is particularly fond of the apple butter and says it's THE BOMB. They also carry products from local vendors such as Pure Honey from Zee's Bees in Chicago Heights and Hull-less Popcorn (which leaves you with more taste and less kernels than regular white and yellow kernels) from Pilot Knob Comforts, a family farm located in Oneida, IL. For the green-thumbed person in your family, they also are selling gorgeous amaryllis plants that easily grow indoors. If all of these sound good, go ahead and purchase one of their ready-made Christmas baskets or ask for them to create a custom one for you! Give them a visit!

Client Spotlight: Verduin Automotive

We're keeping it in the family for our first client highlight! Jimmy Verduin, Tim's older brother, has always had the mind of a mechanic. Ever since he was a small child, Jimmy was fascinated with taking things apart and putting them back together. He continued on his path for mechanic greatness, working in body shops and earning a full scholarship for the trade school he attended after high school. He even has something in common with the founding CEOs of Google, Amazon, Apple and Disney: he started his own company out of his home garage! After several years of working at a couple dealerships, he went off on his own and opened his own shop in 2015. With a brilliant mind and a heart of gold, Jimmy is the most trusted mechanic in Cedar Lake (not that we're biased or anything). Oh, and keep your eye out for Isaiah, Jimmy's 4 year old son who's taking after his prodigal father!

Q & A with Jimmy

 

Jimmy, what is something you would like your clients to know?

The whole reason I got into doing this is when I was a sophomore in high school, was working at a part time job, and had my first car. There was a charging system problem where the battery would intermittently go dead, so I took it to a shop in Lansing and told the guy that's all I want fixed. So he fixed that, but he also changed all the hoses and all the belts. So I had a $350 bill which is a lot of money when you're 16. I had to pay, but I didn't ask him to do any of that work, which I could have done myself at that point. So ever since then I was like, "I'm going to learn how to do this stuff myself." And that's the thing that I'd want my customers to know; I'm never going to charge them for stuff they don't need. 

What is your dream vehicle?

A 1970 Camaro SS     (shown below) 

And for our standard Question, What is your favorite type of doughnut?

Boston Cream!

Community Highlight: Sidelined Chicago

 

Happy Friday! On this day Region Insurance Group is very happy to announce a sponsorship of an organization and a young man that we find pretty inspirational: Sidelined Chicago, founded by Cade Pinalto.

We've known Cade, currently a junior at Lane Tech High School, ever since we started attending Edgewater Baptist Church in 2013. From his intelligence, passion and a charisma that allows him to connect with anyone, we've always known there has been something special about Cade. If you need more proof, just look at Sidelined, the non-profit organization that he co-founded and directs with his mother, Christine Pinalto.

Sidelined Chicago exists to reunite permanently sidelined athletes with their passions and inspire them to find a meaningful way forward through resources, connection, and mentorships. Cade, who was a dedicated athlete and basketball player, became sidelined himself during his 7th grade year. He was devestated when he was told he would no longer be able to compete in his sport. Later, when Cade reached high school, the mens varsity basketball coach offered to teach him how to coach. The experience was incredible as Cade was able to participate in his sport through another avenue. Cade was inspired to take his growth and learning through an adverse experience and share it with others, and the idea for Sidelined Chicago was born in April of 2016. 

Sidelined Chicago has designed a local and national program to engage all permanently sidelined student athletes, regardless of their current stage of the emotional recovery process. The program is three-tiered: Social Support, Coping Resources, and Mentorship. Sidelined Chicago’s end goal is to provide permanently sidelined student athletes with mentorships that re-engage them with the sport they love through alternate avenues. These mentorship avenues include options like coaching, journalism,  photography and athletic training.

POSITIVITY         ADAPTABILITY       PERSEVERANCE

COMMUNITY     MEANINGFUL ACTION      DEVOTION

We love the core values that the organization is based on: they are all an integral part of living a meaningful life through the ups and downs of life that enable us to learn, grow and share our gifts with others. As athletes ourselves, we understand the value of sports and their formative role from childhood to adulthood as well as the passion and excitement they can bring our lives. We therefore also understand the devastation that can be experienced when it is no longer an option to participate. So we're so proud of our young friend and his determination to prove that our worth is not defined by what we can or cannot do, and that we all have a chance to make a difference in a world that so desperately needs it.

Onward, Cade!

If you are interested in learning more about this fantastic organization, participating, becoming a mentor, or even generously lending financial support, please visit their website:

www.sidelinedchicago.org

 

 

 

 

#InsuranceGames: A Day in the Life of an Agent

7:30 AM: It’s Friday. We deserve a treat. Time for bagels and coffee at Panera. #ButFirstCoffee

8:00 AM: It’s Friday. We deserve some tunes. #BlastTheTunes.

8:05 AM: We read through emails, and start responding with answers so beautiful and professional they leave you like, WOW!  #WOW

9:30 AM: Bring on the phone calls… someone needs a quote. TIME TO SAVE YOU MONEY. #SaveAllTheMoney

9:40 AM: As an independent insurance agency, we have contracts with multiple insurance carriers so we can #SaveAllTheMoney by working up different quotes and selecting the company that is most competitive and can offer you the best rate.  #Capitalism

9:45 AM: Here are some of the companies that we throw into the gauntlet and make them compete for you: #HungerGames, I mean, #InsuranceGames

10:00 AM: Another call. OH NO IT’S A CLAIM. It’s okay… we got you. #InThisTogether

10:38 AM: Someone called in because you referred them our way. You’re #TheBest. That means a gift card for coffee and donuts is coming your way! #ReferralProgram #DONUTS

12:30 PM: It’s lunch time. But we’re insurance super heroes. We don’t need lunch. #KEEPWORKING

12:45 PM: Just kidding. We’re eating lunch. #Donuts

 

2:15 PM: Still working through quotes, emails, billing questions, mortgagee faxes, certificates and paperwork like a #BOSS.

3:30 PM: Did you know we do commercial insurance? Of course you did, that’s why you called us to insure your donut shop. We’ll take very good care of you. #Donuts

4:15 PM: Received your new policy in the mail from one of our carriers. Time to send you your temporary Auto ID cards, with a business card of our beautiful faces.

5:00 PM: It’s 5:00 PM. Time to go home. Just kidding… #KEEPWORKING

6:00 PM: Okay, maybe we’ll go home…

 

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