PUT YOURSELF TO THE TEST IN THE 5K BATTLE BUDDY CHALLENGE AT HIGHWOOD’S FIRST ANNUAL SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL

HIGHWOOD, IL (MARCH 3, 2012) – The City of Highwood, Illinois is kicking off its year-long celebration for its 125th anniversary with the first annual Sky Lantern Festival on March 3, 2012. At 9am, brave soldiers, sailors, and marines will start with a fun and invigorating morning run at the 5k “Battle Buddy Challenge.” Unlike a typical 5k race, this challenge will encourage folks to grab a buddy and push themselves to the limits as a team.  

The 5k course will include push ups, calisthenics, the fireman carry, buddy drag, piggyback carry, and the Army Major General Jimmie J. Wells Challenge consisting of 100 upper body and 100 core exercises, with plenty of running in between. The race route will be the same as Highwood’s Pumpkin Fest 5k Run, a beautiful scenic route with mixed terrain through Highwood and Fort Sheridan. If you don’t have a partner in mind, race organizers will pair up the singles and no participant will race alone. This race is not about the fastest time, it’s about putting yourself to the test, having fun, and taking pride in your efforts while working as a team!

In addition to participating civilians of Highwood, the “Battle Buddy Challenge” is typically a military term that refers to the practice of teaming up the military and Highwood Army with the Navy. Teams from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps will start off the year of celebration by “battling” as a representation of Fort Sheridan’s strong and historic ties to the Highwood community. This year is not only an important time for Highwood, but for the former Army base of Sheridan as well, and the Army has been and will be heavily involved in many of the events to come! To pay tribute to the amazing military officials and to rouse the crowd and participants, the Navy will kick off the 5k challenge with a salute cannon. 

2012 marks the City of Highwood’s 125th Anniversary, and the Sky Lantern Festival will be the first festival of the year. In addition to the 5k Battle Buddy Challenge, the festival will culminate into a spectular display of airborne lanterns where citizens and representatives alike of the City of Highwood will light and launch the papered candle lanterns into the night sky. Other activities include a Tough Man Barbecue Challenge, live music, samples of Highwood’s best food and drinks, military vehicles on display, Bocce Ball, and commemorative speeches to pay tribute to the armed forces. 

To sign up for the 5k Battle Buddy Challenge, please go to http://celebratehighwood.com/skylanternfest.html. 





About The City of Highwood 

Highwood was founded in 1868 by William Wallace Everts, a Chicago civic leader and world-renown educator. His concept of a family-based community has endured for more than a century. The beautiful Everts Park, in the heart of downtown Highwood, has been named in the founder's honor. Benches and trees in the park celebrate and remember people who, through turbulent times and peaceful ones, built and sustained the community. Many of Highwood's street names recall Everts' family and friends whom the founder encouraged to build homes here. Residents of Swedish, Irish, Italian, Latino and other heritages have since populated the community, each enriching the community through their cultural traditions. 

The Village of Highwood was incorporated in 1887. The name briefly became Village of Fort Sheridan and then City of Fort Sheridan. In 1904, the community officially became known as the City of Highwood. Fort Sheridan, a former Army base northeast of the City, has had a profound influence on Highwood's development, and it continues to do so today as part of its land, incorporated into the City, nearly doubled Highwood in size. Today, Highwood is blending the past and present with exciting new plans for its future.

The City of Highwood, IL administrative offices are located at 17 Highwood Avenue
Highwood, Illinois 60040.  For more information, please visit http://www.celebratehighwood.com or  http://www.cityofhighwood.com. Tel: 847.432.1924. 


About Fort Sheridan

Fort Sheridan was originally established as a United States Army Post named after Civil War Cavalry General Philip Sheridan, to honor his services to Chicago. When the main fort was officially closed by the Army on 3 May 1993, the majority of the property was sold by the Department of Defense to commercial land developers. Most of the original housing structures were then refurbished and resold as a residential community.

Fort Sheridan became a mobilization, training, and administrative center beginning with the Spanish-American War in 1898. During World War II, over 500,000 men and women were processed through military service. Many Army officers who later became famous lived there, including George Patton and Jonathan Wainwright.

In 1871, U.S. Army Officer and Union General Phillip Sheridan was present in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire and coordinated military relief efforts. The city was named after Sheridan for his many services to Chicago, including his efforts during the Great Chicago Fire.

Today the Fort Sheridan buildings have been restored to their original historic beauty. On the inside, these elegant structures have been totally renovated to reflect the modern needs of a non-military residential community.

For more information, please visit http://www.fortsheridan.com.