Projects

Although we do many projects each year these are the ones we try to run.

Kiddy Tractor Pull      Est. 1978

This project has been ran since the Chapter was chartered in 1978. There have been may changes over the years, but fun is still the name of the game. It started out with a regular pedal tractor pulling a piece of plywood. As it went down the track, people would lay bricks on the plywood. The only modification to the tractor was gearing it so the kids could get an easier start. We now have 3 tractors and 2 transfer sleds, custom built by some of our members.     [Photo's]

Haunted House      Est. 1982

Since it's conception in "82", the Arcola Jaycees Haunted House has been a pleaser for the young and young at heart. Once a location has been found ( this is the hardest part), plans are drawn and construction begins. Setup takes about a week or two depending on the layout. During the week of Halloween, the house is open from 6:30pm to 10:00pm, except for Wednesday when it is closed. Closing hour usually depends on the crowd that evening. The Arcola Jaycees take great pleasure in giving a good scare to those who "DARE TO ENTER".    [Photo's]

Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner      Est. 1982

Another long time project for our Chapter. We run this for the senior citizens in our community . It is a well prepared meal (thanks to Diane's help) and gives the seniors a chance to visit with others they haven't seen in awhile. To the enjoyment of our guests, children of the club's members serve the meals. For those unable to attend we provide carry-out service, delivering right to their front door. The Arcola School District donates the use of their kitchen and cafeteria for us to provide this service. Also, a Thank You to the Exhausted Roosters that help us on this project.    [Photo's]

Broomcorn Festival Beer Tent      Est. 1983

Talk about membership involvement! Not only does this project require our chapter, we get helping hands from others in our region. The Jaycees operate the taps, sell tokens, and clean up the beer tent for the Arcola Chamber of Commerce for three days. Not including set up on Thursday night. The Broomcorn Festival itself draws people from all over the state and country. Proceeds raised from this project are used to run other projects and allows the Chapter to donate to other groups or persons. Also ran during Broomcorn is the Kiddie Tractor Pull.    [Photo's]

Substance Free Graduation Party      Est. 1986

The name says it all. The primary purpose of this project is to provide a safe, substance free party for the graduating class of Arcola High School. We bus the graduates to the Mattoon YMCA where they have the option to play volleyball, basketball, swim, watch movies or just hang out and talk. There is a lot of community sentiment concerning drug and alcohol abuse problems among teens and this project provides an alternative for the graduates. We, the Jaycees, feel if just one negative incident is avoided, this project is worth running. Our main problem would be lack of attendance, we always hope to have 60% of the class attend. To help improve this percentage, we let the senior class make decisions on who to invite, what types of music to play, and what types of food they want to eat. Also to help attendance, each participating senior gets a door prize. After the door prizes are given out, we have drawings for the 4 or 5 grand prizes. This project could not take place if it wasn't for the generosity of the community and local businesses.    [Photo's]

Easter Egg Hunt      Est. 1996

In 1996 the Arcola Jaycees were asked to run the Easter Egg Hunt. Prizes are donated by local businesses. Once again their generosity is remarkable. There are three different age groups that participate, which adds up to a lot of kids, and eggs.     [Photo's]