Seguin Services dedicated one of its North Riverside group homes to former mayor Richard Scheck on Friday evening, honoring the retired mayor’s longtime contributions to the organization throughout his 20 years in office.
“He governs with a big heart…he’s a mayor you want on your side,” said John Voit, president and CEO of Seguin, which strives to help children and adults with disabilities lead productive, independent lives. The organization operates 62 group homes, like the The Scheck House, in the south and west suburbs.
Scheck returned the compliment by trumping all of his previous contributions – as well as any other in Seguin’s history – by donating a LaGrange Park restaurant valued at $1.62 million.
Rascal’s Restaurant, at 1136 N. Maple Ave., will provide general services and activities for seniors with and without developmental disabilities, and will be named the The Betty Scheck Senior Center in honor of Scheck’s late wife, who lost her life to cancer in 1997.
Renovation has already begun, and Seguin is expected to take the reins toward the end of October, when the center is slated to open its doors.
Scheck, the owner of several businesses and properties, claimed the restaurant was up for sale briefly, but said that he “was not pursuing it aggressively.”
As a result, Scheck and his three sons, Michael, Chris and Rick, collectively decided to donate the home in honor of the family’s matriarch.
“I brought it up to the boys, and they said, ‘Let’s dedicate it to Mom,'” Scheck said.
“This was [a] way in long-term permanency to continue her legacy … and be able to help the seniors,” Rick Scheck said.
“Some things I will hold with me for life,” Scheck said, in reference to the dedication.
The Cicero-based non-profit organization provides a number of services to adults and children with developmental disabilities such as the group homes, which are known as Community Integrated Living Arrangement homes.
A small number of adult participants are housed in each of Seguin’s CILA homes, which offer clients a more independent way of life, but still provide a 24-hour monitoring service.
The Scheck House is just one of these residencies, which is located in the 2200 block of 7th Avenue in North Riverside.
Scheck said that as mayor he always took a transparent approach when undergoing projects such as placing a CILA home within the community, so as not to surprise anyone.
“It wasn’t that people didn’t want these organizations in their community, they were just scared of the unknown,” Scheck said.
Scheck’s relationship with Seguin was initially forged with the aid of friend and former Cook County Commissioner Al Carr.
Carr has hosted 38 consecutive holiday parties for Seguin at his former restaurant, the Wishing Well Concordia Banquet Hall in Cicero. He continues to host the parties under an agreement with the current owners.
It was at one of these parties that Carr suggested Scheck become involved with the organization in some capacity.
“We went to a couple of Christmas parties and we were hooked,” Scheck said, laughing.
In 2001, North Riverside partnered with Seguin to provide participants with jobs in the winter through a partially subsidized snow removal service for over 100 North Riverside seniors.
Hailed as a success, the program still operates and will “absolutely” continue on the watch of Mayor Ken Krochmal.
“We’re proud to have them [Seguin] in our community,” Krochmal said.
Scheck’s other contributions to Seguin include gifts he gave to participants during the holiday season and his help in brokering volunteer work from the apprenticeship schools of both Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 281 and Painters District Council 14.
Both organizations cumulatively completed $200,000 of work on Seguin’s Carr Center headquarters.
Although he has retired as mayor, Scheck is still the president of Scheck Industries, a mechanical and technical corporation for which all three of his sons work.
“It doesn’t take that much to help people … it’s what it’s all supposed to be about,” Scheck said. “The power of the mayor.”
