More than 100 community members gathered for the annual Fourth of July picnic at Izaak Walton Preserve in Homewood organized by preserve volunteers.
Community members played games, flew American flags and listened to music. They sat at park bench tables or on beach towels, enjoying food prepared by the preserve volunteers and members of the Knights of Columbus.
Patrick F. Zamkin, grand knight of the Knights of Columbus’ Marian Council 3761, served free chips, cookies, baked beans, hamburgers and hot dogs while Knights of Columbus members Paul Lynch, Scott Troxel and Richard Mamtoan grilled nearby. The Knights of Columbus displayed a large cardboard cutout of Pope Leo XIV and red, white and blue balloons next to their serving table.
“This is a great way to celebrate with the people in our community, with our families, our church and the organizations such as the Knights of Columbus,” Zamkin said.
Izaak Walton Membership Secretary Shawn Straney, left in the top hat, leads a game of water balloon toss at the community picnic. (Nick Ulanowski/ H-F Chronicle)
“There are people that sacrificed and there are people that died so we could have these freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of religion and all the freedoms that we get being an American,” Zamkin said, explaining what the 4th of July means to him.
“It’s nice to have people come down here and enjoy themselves,” Lynch said, adding that Izaak Walton is “the best-known little secret in Homewood.”
Izaak Walton volunteers sold food and refreshments, including corn, jerk chicken and veggie burgers. Lorenzo Pesce and other Izaak Walton volunteers grilled nearby. Homewood caterer Vicky Carter prepared other Izaak Walton menu items.
Homewood-Flossmoor High School students in the National Honor Society helped Izaak Walton volunteers serve the food.
The Outsiders Forest School, a homeschooling group in the South Suburbs, provided games for kids. This included a game run by Flossmoor resident Jennifer Bahar where children played with toy ducks in a small pool. Each toy duck had a number, and when a child removed a duck, they received a prize.
Izaak Walton organized games for kids and adults, including water balloon tosses led by Izaak Walton Membership Secretary Shawn Straney. Standing in two lines facing each other, community members threw water balloons back and forth until the last pair with an intact water balloon won. Kids played the first round, and adults played the second.
“Where else are the kids going to do this old-fashioned picnic stuff?” Izaak Walton board member Carolyn Bury said.
Izaak Walton set up a cooling station where a metal stand sprayed community members off with misty water.
Homewood Village Trustee Phillip Mason, who was in Homewood’s 4th of July parade earlier that day, walked around the picnic and handed out bubble makers. He said that at the parade and the picnic, he passed out at least 500 bubble makers, something the village encouraged residents to use on the 4th of July instead of fireworks.
“I thought I had enough. I got a total of 560. I probably should’ve doubled that,” Mason said, adding that next year he’ll order more.
