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Idlewild delivers 50 hot meals to staff at Franciscan hospital

Fifty meals of chicken piccata, sides and dessert were donated by Idlewild Country Club to staff in the emergency department and intensive care unit at Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. (Provided photo by Taryn Takacs)

To show appreciation for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, on Thursday Idlewild Country Club donated 50 meals to staff in the emergency department and intensive care unit at Franciscan Health in Olympia Fields.

John Jacoby, president of Idlewild’s board of directors, said the country club in Flossmoor had to close its golf course and banquet facility due to the pandemic. It is offering limited restaurant carry-out service right now on Thursdays through Sundays.

Fifty meals of chicken piccata, sides and dessert were donated by Idlewild Country Club to staff in the emergency department and intensive care unit at Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. (Provided photo by Taryn Takacs)

“I have to give my wife credit for the idea,” Jacoby said. “We’re doing a takeout menu for club members and those in the H-F area, and she said, ‘Maybe you should think about doing something for the medical workers.’”

As a longtime former vice president and general counsel at Ingalls Hospital, Jacoby said his wife, Diane, has a strong connection to the area and its medical community. Also, her brother living in North Carolina works as an anesthesiologist, making them feel even more responsible for supporting health care workers.

“We’re in tune to the really heroic efforts medical workers are making,” Jacoby said. 

Idlewild Country Club employees, from left, bar manager Bryan Leonard and restaurant manager Steve Sucic, deliver donated meals for ICU and ER staff at Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. (Provided photo by Taryn Takacs)

He took Diane’s suggestion to the board of directors, who quickly agreed to the idea of donating meals. When they discussed what institution would be the beneficiary, Franciscan Health in Olympia Fields quickly rose to the top.

“We decided on the hospital in Olympia Fields because I know it’s kind of under siege right now, according to the local reports,” Jacoby said. “Also, one of our board member’s brothers works in security over there, so we’ve heard a little about what they’re dealing with.

“It was a hospital that seemed to be most in need of a morale boost. When we reached out to ask them about it, they indicated they would really love it.”

On Thursday, Idlewild employees including general manager Peter Corydon, bar manager Bryan Leonard, and restaurant manager Steve Sucic delivered 50 hot meals of chicken piccata, mostaccioli and French green beans, along with Ceasar salad and cherry pie for dessert.

“We wanted to express our admiration and support of those medical and health care workers, and this was a way we could do it,” Jacoby said. 

Peter Corydon, General Manager, of Idlewild Country Club, helps bring donated meals to Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. (Provided photo by Taryn Takacs)

During peak season when the golf course is open and special events fill the banquet center, Jacoby said Idlewild Country Club employs more than 100 local residents. Especially through its caddy program, many of those workers are young people. 

Now, with the country club shuttered like most other businesses, only a few kitchen workers are active at Idlewild.

“It’s been a disaster as far as revenue streams and operations,” Jacoby said. “We’re doing what restaurants are doing, keeping enough hours so our employees can get some work time in.”

A resident of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, Jacoby chose to look for a country club in the south suburbs for its convenient location, and said he joined Idlewild for its community atmosphere. He has been president of the Idlewild board of directors for seven years.

“As president of the board, I do feel the country club needs to be a beneficial community member,” he said. “We do feel like we give back and we have a lot of community ties. This is one more way of being interconnected and showing we appreciate our surroundings.”

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