>> Announcer: Coming up on Lakeshore's local best of 2024.

>> Matt: We want to thank Deep River Waterpark for having us out today, letting this just lounge in the Lazy River, enjoy some sunlight, do all the rides, hang out with the kiddos, you got the rides.

And the cool thing is that they support local charities too.

Man, that's pretty awesome.

>> Jim: It's Challenger Baseball.

It's baseball for individuals with disabilities, both mental and physical disabilities.

We wanted community service 'cause that's what Post 94 is about is giving back to the community.

And we figured what better way to do that than Post 94 is love of baseball.

Let's give it to everyone.

>> Robert: In South Lake County there are a fair number of children in public schools who are on the Federal Free Lunch program.

And our concern is how well these children eat over the weekend so that when they get to school Monday morning, they're ready to start learning immediately that they don't fall behind the rest of the students.

>> Aubrey: It's just a blessing to have somebody come to you to do something that we get to build from nothing pretty much with our hands.

>> Brian: But in the end, when you have that car done and the client loves it and other people are just like, oh my God, it's nothing better.

>> Tony: To see them come in depressed and not knowing how to continue living and to give them that encouragement and the hope that they can continue to live life on their own terms versus letting life live them.

It's been a great impact.

>> Melinda: It's not only about running, it's about learning different ways to empower girls, deal with different situations in everyday life.

>> It's really fun and you can meet other people and make new friends.

>> Girls on the run.

>> That is so much fun.

>> I have a very strong connection to other students.

Everyone makes an effort to help each other.

I'll remember the feeling of being here, the feeling that I was a part of a family.

>> Announcer: Strack and VanTil is hiring full and part-time positions for deli, floral, bakery, department managers and more with flexible work schedules, sign on bonuses, paid vacation and benefits.

Learn more at Strackandvantil.com.

>> Presenter: Doing as much as you can, as quickly as you can is important to me.

Life is short and the earlier we get started helping our community, the better off our community will be.

>> Announcer: As you travel across Northwest Indiana and into Chicago, take Lakeshore Public Media 89.1 FM along for the ride.

With our newly expanded signal we're with you from the southern corner of Michigan and into Chicago, and of course across Northwest Indiana.

From the dunes at Lake Michigan to the windmills of Wolcott, Lakeshore Public Media 89.1 FM is along for the ride, wherever you call home.

(bright music) >> Announcer: Additional support for Lakeshore Public Media and local programming is made possible by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(bright music) >> Hello, I'm Chuck Roberts, your president and CEO at Lakeshore Public Media.

2024 has been an eventful year for us and we want to share a sample of the programs we filmed right here in Northwest Indiana.

Shows like Friends and Neighbors, Eye in the Arts and the Whitney Reynolds Show reflect the variety of people and places that make our communities so unique and impactful.

Our first story highlights a region staple.

Deep River Water Park has been a fixture in the region for decades.

It's one of the midwest's largest outdoor water parks featuring winding water slides, relaxing lazy rivers and fun for the whole family.

Deep River Water Park strives to ensure that it services are accessible for anyone and everyone.

So let's join Matt Valukis and see why it's a splashtastic good time.

>> Welcome again to Friends and Neighbors.

Today we were a little bit sad 'cause our boat sank, but then we realized we're here at Deep River Water Park.

Gray, you ready to go have some fun?

>> Yeah.

>> Woo, Woohoo.

(upbeat music) >> Hi Nicole, how are you?

>> Hi guys, how are you doing?

I'm good.

Yourself?

>> Fantastic.

We are so excited to be here today.

Can you tell me a little bit about Deep River Water Park?

>> Yeah.

Deep River opened in 1995.

We are on our 30th season this year.

We had a few years in 2005 we did a massive expansion in the west side of the park.

We added a river, two bowl slides, a massive courthouse.

And here we are today, we're still going.

>> Can you tell me about some of the other rides and the fan favorites?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

So right behind me we have The Kraken.

It's a mat racer slide.

Six people can go at once.

You get to ride down on your belly.

So go through some winding tubes and then you get to take a nice drop down.

Another fan favorite is The Storm.

It's three blacked out slides each one a different ride pattern.

And then we have our rip tide wave pool.

It's big large waves and everyone loves it.

>> So here on the Kraken, we had this discussion on the ride here of who would be faster, the bigger guy like me or the smaller guys who are lighter?

Is there a method to that?

>> There is.

So physics, actually gonna be the bigger, heavier guy.

He is gonna go a lot faster than the little guys.

>> So what do you think?

Do you think I'm gonna win in the Kraken or do you think you're gonna win?

>> Me.

>> You?

No way.

So, and one of our favorite things is the Lazy River.

You guys have two of them, right?

>> We do.

>> And they're on both sides of the park.

>> Yeah, there's one on each side of the park.

We have our Bayou River, which is on the original side of the park.

It's a little bit slower paced, nothing crazy.

And then on the west side of the park we have our Action River.

It's attached to our Bull Slides, spray features.

It's a bigger river.

Yeah.

>> That's awesome.

So I know, so this little guy isn't always the biggest fans of water slides.

He just wants a water park to play in.

Do you guys have something for the littles too?

>> We do.

We have two areas.

So we have Mayor Byrdovich's Courthouse.

So there is two slides.

If he doesn't wanna go down the slides, he can run through the big courthouse.

We have lots of spray features.

Or if he wants something a little bit slower pace, we have a nice little kitty area under 46 inches to get into it.

And it's meant just for little kids.

>> So this is really family friendly for everybody at Deep River Water Park.

>> Yeah that's always our goal.

>> Now, I also understand you guys have some specials going on this summer, correct?

>> We do.

So every Wednesday we do pull it forward.

We have partnered with the Humane Society of Hobart.

If you bring in a animal donation, you get $5 off of your guys' admission.

And then on Thursdays we partner with the Food Bank of America.

Same thing, if you bring two canned goods, $5 off your admission, that way everyone gets to come enjoy us while also benefiting the public as well.

>> Alright, so Nicole, where should we get started?

>> You should definitely get started on the Kraken right behind us.

The mats are ready.

We have an attendant ready to get you guys going.

>> You ready?

>> Yeah.

>> All right, let's go.

>> Awesome.

Enjoy guys.

(upbeat music) >> When you're at the water park, always remember sunscreen.

(upbeat music) >> How much fun are you having today?

>> 100 billion, jillion, gillion, whatever... (mumbles) (upbeat music) >> We want to thank Deep River Waterpark for having us out today, letting this just lounge in the Lazy River, enjoy some sunlight, do all the rides, hang out with the kiddos, you got the rides.

And the cool thing is that they support local charities too.

Man, that's pretty awesome.

But if you haven't done this before, you should really come out here.

This is right in our backyard and it's amazing.

I mean, this is so cool.

Like seriously, this is the best way to spend a summer afternoon.

Deep River Waterpark, heck, it is simply splashtastic.

(upbeat music) (gentle music) >> Hello, I'm Neil Samahon, president and CEO of Opportunity Enterprises.

Challenger Baseball League is an adaptive sports league for individuals who are physically or intellectually challenged.

Baseball is for everyone.

And through the love of the game, bonds are created both on and off the field.

(upbeat music) >> Jim: It's Challenger Baseball, it's baseball for individuals with disabilities, both mental and physical disabilities.

(uplifting music) Games and practices are structured a little different.

As soon as we come in, we split up into three groups.

We'll have a batting group here at home plate.

In left field, we'll have a group doing fly balls.

And in right field we'll have a group doing grounders.

And every 10 minutes we just rotate.

When it comes time for games, games are a little different.

We'll play two innings and everyone gets the bat.

And then of course within that, you know, we have our own lingo that we use between the coaches that if it's a power hitter, he's probably got a really good bat.

And if it's a home run hitter, it's the last batter.

After my first year, I started getting involved with American Legion Post 94.

Through that we've formed a partnership between Valpo Parks and American Legion Post 94 baseball here in Valpo.

And we have some high school players through that Post 94 that come out and volunteer their time on Sundays for practices and/or games.

We wanted community service 'cause that's what Post 94 is about is giving back to the community.

And we figured what better way to do that than everyone's, the Post 94 is love of baseball, let's give it to everyone.

And so it was a no brainer to form a partnership between the two.

I've noticed some of the participants really come out of their shells.

This year alone I had one girl, she, very close, very reserved, just wanted to stay off to the side.

And then by game four, she is like, I can't wait to get up there and bat.

And you know, some kids who at the very, very beginning, mom and dad are kind of helping them bat to the very, very end.

They're pushing mom and dad away because they wanna hit the ball themselves.

The kids want to improve.

The parents want the kids to improve.

And so that's why we actually set up the stations and do that.

We do the stations so they can improve on those skills because then if you're not improving on your skills, what's the purpose of actually being out here to play.

And we've actually kind of taken that a little bit further in that if I have some athletes out here, and there's two that I can think of, you know, right off the bat, their skills are really, really good.

So I usually take those two individuals and I'll find a couple of the high school kids and say, "Hey, out in the field and do something a little bit more advanced in these three areas."

And so, you know, they might, instead of rolling them a ground ball, they might take a bat and hit them a ground ball or hit them a pop fly to work on something that's a little bit higher level for them.

I'm all about independence, even with my own students in my own classroom.

I don't want individuals, especially individuals with special needs to think that people are gonna do everything for you because they need to do things on their own to have that feeling of, I did this on my own.

(uplifting music) It is one of those warm, fuzzy feelings that you get inside.

But obviously I don't do it for the accolades, I don't do it for the recognition.

I do it just because love of the sport and love of kids.

(lively music) >> I'm Victor Garcia, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

While food insecure students may be fed during the school day with the help of the National School Lunch Program, the Community Help Network asks what happens to those kids on the weekend.

The Buddy Bag program helps over 850 food insecure students in 23 schools by providing weekend meals.

Highly organized and motivated volunteers help address the challenges hungry students face, ensuring they have the nutrition they need to succeed.

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana is proud to be a food sourcing partner of the Buddy Bags program.

(uplifting music) >> In South Lake County there are a fair number of children in public schools who are on the Federal Free Lunch program.

And our concern is how well these children eat over the weekend, particularly from the perspective of adequate protein and carbs so that when they get to school Monday morning, they're ready to start learning immediately that they don't fall behind the rest of the students.

So we're packing about 550 Buddy Bags per week for 17 grade schools in South Lake County, trying to help kids be fed adequately so it doesn't impair their educational progress.

(gentle uplifting music) >> Bonnie: It is a bag filled with good stuff and fun things.

It's not just food, it's an inspirational note that they can color.

Sometimes there's some school supplies.

Twice a year we put in a hygiene kit, maybe a little bag of candy around Halloween time and so on.

So it's a cool thing.

I get breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for two days.

It's something our recipients look forward to get excited about.

We hear back once in a while from kids anonymously.

I like, you know, the popcorn because I can share it with my little sister.

Or I don't particularly like the granola bar, but my mom does, so I give her the granola bar.

You know, that kind of thing.

(gentle uplifting music) >> Robert: If the kids don't get enough protein, then their protein starts Monday morning at breakfast and lunch.

And it's not until Tuesday that they've acquired enough protein that their brains really work well enough to learn.

So they fall a day behind.

And I think one of the goals here is to have these children learn with everybody else so that they can break that habit of poor education and poor jobs, low income, poor food supply.

It's really a cycle.

And hopefully we can break that for at least some of these kids.

>> Bonnie: You know teachers care about kids and they will tell you stories about certain kids who they know were coming to school hungry.

So yes, they have firsthand experience and can tell you the need is there.

And sometimes I have a hard time convincing people that yes, there's a need in Crown Point or you know, we're in Lake Central schools, there's a need in Schererville.

Or, you know, yes.

Just because it's not obvious doesn't mean there's no need there.

(gentle uplifting music) >> Robert: We have 17 wonderfully dedicated volunteers.

They can pack 550 bags in a little bit over an hour's time.

It's a remarkable experience.

I mean these volunteers are dedicated to being on their position on the line every Tuesday when we pack Buddy Bags.

>> It's funny, we could probably get away with about eight volunteers, but as you saw, we have about 20, so we're not gonna turn anyone away.

>> Robert: Many of them have been in education as teachers and I think they understand what it's like for a hungry child in a classroom, not learning as rapidly as the rest would.

>> Bonnie: They're wonderful.

They really are.

They're enthusiastic and dedicated and will do anything that needs to be done, even if that's sweeping the floor.

Yeah, they're, you know, it's like give me more.

Is that all we have to do?

What's next?

People are jealous of our volunteers.

>> We could use any kind of volunteer.

I mean for the people who have green thumbs, we have gardens that they can work in.

There's some carpentry that gets done around here all the time.

Clerical work.

Yes, there's a little bit of something for everyone here.

Most of us get here a little bit early, just for a little time spent with each other.

It's really developed some wonderful friendships here that it's more than just a job.

We come here for some fellowship with one another.

>> Bonnie: It's one thing to write a check, but to do something hands-on and know you're affecting people in your community in a positive way.

I think it's just good people doing good things.

(gentle uplifting music) (upbeat music) >> Hello, I'm Phil Tailon, President and CEO of the South Shore CVA.

Live Free Fabrication consists of wife and husband team Aubrey and Brian Zelenka.

Each bringing their unique set of skills into custom metal work.

Each car they remodel is a chance to fabricate and build lifelong relationships with their community.

They cherish the small details and handmade quality pieces that will last a lifetime.

(lively music) >> For me, I grew up as a kid going to car shows with my dad and man, I just love seeing all these custom cars and the metal work that went into 'em.

And so I've been kind of doing that my whole life.

And then I met her and she was into it too.

So we both kind of like combined stuff and just started working together and it just kept growing and growing.

>> I grew up very mountain man, native American kind of.

So I grew up doing leather work kind of just out of necessity, making things to use.

And as I started to do more and more of it, it kind of became a business.

And then when we met, I was doing that and then I already did metal when I was in high school.

I really enjoyed it.

So I kind of picked up more when I met him.

And then I started getting some leather jobs through the steel mill and then got metal jobs through the steel mill.

And then we got a bigger job working on some shipping containers, turning 'em into restaurants.

And then I said, okay, you can quit your job now.

So that's how we kind of started combining it together.

>> As a kid I was more into like muscle car restoration type of stuff, which I still love that.

I love taking something that looks all old and beat up and making it look brand new again.

It's super rewarding, you know?

But after a while that stuff kind of gets boring because you already know what the car's gonna look like.

You know, if it's a stock car, you're putting it back to the way it was.

And you know, so it gets kind of dull.

So I wanted to do more, more custom stuff where I'm making my own thing and doing what I want, you know.

And so it started with that with my dad and then I just started acquiring a little bit of tools here, a lot of, you know, reading books, looking at stuff on the internet and it just kind of, you know, I keep trying to just push and push and push my skills to where I'm making something from completely just flat sheets.

>> And his family, he leaves out, they're all machinists.

>> True.

>> So he grew up >> So we do that too.

>> in a machine shop that was, you know, so he had access to larger tools and things that normal people and kids didn't.

And so, and his dad was into drag racing and things like that.

So he kind of tagged along.

So it was kind of...

I think when it comes natural to you, you know, you're like, you forget how you got into it but- >> My dad was a tool and die maker his whole life.

So it's just like it's instilled in me, you know?

>> So he measures everything to like the millionth.

>> Yeah.

>> Takes forever to build that- >> I can't help it, it just, that's the way it is, you know.

(upbeat music) I mean the first step, it's gotta get down, taking down the bare metal and see what you have to work with because to go over something that's already there, it's not the right way to do it first of all and it's gonna come back to bite you.

And you know, it's our reputation so we wanna do things the right way.

So strip it, fix whatever needs to be fixed.

Or if we're doing custom stuff, you know, we'll get a rendering made or you know, sit down with the client, see what he wants and kind of sketch something out.

>> But we also say what we want to.

>> It's true.

>> We've learned that whatever we put on the street we wanna be proud of.

>> Right.

>> And sometimes people may not have the same idea of what's cool as we do.

And so we've definitely learned that we would rather say no to somebody who may not have the same style guide as us.

And so we would rather if people come to us because they appreciate our style.

So we learned when to say- >> Kind of steer them.

>> Aubrey: Yeah, we try to steer them.

So we learn when to say no and when to like, you know, when the customer's right, so.

>> Brian: And then it works its way up from there.

Then we move on to the body shop, paint work, assembly, all the normal stuff to get to something like that.

A lot of hours.

>> I mean expression is like unlimited.

Really you can do whatever you want to a car.

I think that's why customizing a car is the coolest form of expression.

You can go as modest or as crazy as you want.

And so I think, you know, we're really into like the art deco eras and stuff and so that's something that we like to express a lot and I think that's something that we carry through in a lot of our design and >> Yeah, for sure.

>> build.

>> And especially this car, 'cause this one's ours.

So we're poured into this as much as you can be, so.

(energetic music) >> Aubrey: Well, you think that people that their secrets and I think that's kind of our initial idea of the car scene was that, you know, well, how do they build that or how do they do this or how do they do that?

But honestly, the deeper we've gotten into it as a business, we've been so welcomed and there's so many bigger builders out there that have really helped us.

Whether it's how to machine something or paint something or their techniques, how they got something another way or how they run their business.

It's been very like welcoming, which we didn't expect at first.

>> No, it's super surprising.

>> Aubrey: We thought it was gonna be super 'cause there are some people that are competitive and not as welcoming, but you quickly find your people.

It's just a blessing, you know, to have somebody come to you to do something that we get to build from nothing pretty much with our hands and produce something and we're getting paid to do it.

You know, to me that's why it's live free because we're living free from, you know, we're making our own rules and we get to do what we wanna do and make a living off of it, which is awesome.

>> I mean there's nothing better than that.

And it makes all the hard work and all the late nights and the being upset that something's not working out the way you wanted it, but in the end when you have that card done and the client loves it and other people are just like, oh my god, there's nothing better.

(energetic music) (gentle music) >> Hello, I'm Chelsea Whittington, CEO of C Whitt PR.

After losing his sight due to an aggressive form of glaucoma, Tony and Connie Blair realized that there were not many resources in the northwest Indiana region that were available for the visually impaired.

Now they seek to create a place for the blind and sighted communities to learn, connect, and bring light to blindness.

(bright music) >> Connie: 17 years ago, Tony lost his sight to glaucoma, the eye disease.

And after sitting for six years, initially when he first lost his sight, you know, you think in terms of what do we do at this point in life being that we are mature individuals.

So we sought out the different resources that was available here in northwest Indiana, which was very few, few to none I should say because any services that you needed for visually impairment or blindness, there was only the resources in the south or either west of us, which is in Chicago the lighthouse, and then south of us, which is Bosma Enterprises.

So after we came back here, all these new life skills and we're like, okay, so what do we do now?

We got all these life skills, what are we gonna do with them?

So being that Tony is such a social person, because he's a general contractor all his life and it's like, well, let's open up a center for the blind, you know, a social center where you can have someone to socialize with because I can only talk so many hours in a day.

So it's like we need to, (Tony and Connie laughing) we need to get you some other individuals that you can chitchat with, okay?

(gentle bright music) >> It was a lot of things I had to learn to navigate.

You know, Bosma was a great place to give me opportunity to hone in on my abilities and what I'm able to do.

Navigating is one thing and it wasn't too many things that I felt like that I had to learn.

Actually it's like people's lives are imprinted and the things that I knew how to do and know how to do, I still can do those things even without my sight and I don't limit myself by doing them.

Sometime I have to ask my wife for things that get misplaced here or there, but for the most part it ain't been too many things that I thought that I had to relearn to do.

I just know what I can do and I go about doing them.

>> Connie: It helped me to understand blindness as well because we think that it only affects the person, but that's not true.

It actually affects the total family when a person has a disability of some sort.

I was able to see the socialization and the comradery that blind individuals have and create support groups to be able to support themselves because we as sighted individuals, we think we understand, but actually we don't because we don't have that total impairment that the blind or visually impaired actually have.

We can sympathize with them, yes.

And we can give them all the assistance that we feel that they may need, but they truly understand each other in terms of their condition.

(gentle uplifting music) >> Oftentimes most things I learned, not on your own, it takes someone else to show you.

Because even though I have gone through this phase or the challenge of being visually impaired and trying to accept this thing that they call blindness, what helped me was to be around individuals who understood.

Because a society individual just doesn't understand the challenges of being blind and/or visually impaired.

>> I am free when I come here, not that I'm not free when I go anywhere else but coming to a place where you can just be yourself, you can be open.

No one is looking at you, judging you, speaking about what you can't do, or they just have this mindset that you can't do something.

We are encouragers here at the Blind Social Center and we believe we can do anything, you know.

They have been a great help with helping you to be free as well because you are around like-minded people and you're around people that are physically like you.

So they're not looking at you in a different aspect as maybe someone sighted will.

We see each other the same way.

You know, whether we have a little sight or whether we have no sight at all, we just encourage.

>> Connie: You know, I've been privileged as a sighted individual to watch individuals grow within themselves from the beginning until the time they decide they've learned enough to go out and live their daily lives.

I've been blessed to be able to do that.

>> To see them come in depressed and not knowing how to continue living and to give them that >> Direction.

>> Encouragement and the hope that they can continue to live life on their own terms versus letting life live them.

>> Right.

>> Being able.

It's been a great impact.

>> Connie: And you know you're making an impact in an individual's life when they come to your center or they come to your agency and they know nothing about blindness, they don't have any direction in terms of which way they're gonna go, what they're gonna do, how to move their life forward.

And then once they start participating at the center, you teach them, you show them, you train them different aspects of daily living and then they're gone.

And it's like, oh, don't leave, don't leave.

But that's what they come for.

They come to learn how to be independent and be confident enough to go out in life and show that they are independent.

And that's when you know you've made an impact.

(uplifting music) (gentle music) >> Hi, I'm Tom Maloney, vice president of Radio Operations here at Lakeshore Public Media.

Born on the 4th of July, a real firework, Tommy Williams was a beacon of inspiration whose dedication to broadcasting and passion for sports enriched the lives of countless individuals throughout his career.

From announcing the RailCats to hosting our very own game night, there wasn't an ear that wouldn't recognize his unique voice.

As we celebrate Tommy's remarkable contributions and enduring impact, we invite friends, colleagues, and members of the community to join us in paying a tribute to his memory.

(gentle music) Tommy was able to put the spotlight on people, especially high school athletes who don't really get the opportunity to have their stories showcased and told.

And Tommy, if you were the star of the team and he interviewed you, you felt great.

If you were the hero of the game and he interviewed you, you felt great.

If you were the kid off the bench who came in and you just happened to be the last one off the field when he came on to do some interviews and he interviewed you, you felt great.

>> You know what it is?

Who you got!

Who you got!

Who you got!

Who you got!

>> Team: Who you got!

Who you got!

Who you got!

(team cheering) >> Tom: He brought this unique skill that so few people have, and especially in this industry.

You know, you'd be amazed at how many people are reading off of a prompt or how many people need all these cue cards and they gotta rehearse a script and do all this other stuff.

And he's just like, nope, we're gonna just do it.

And he just did it.

It was fantastic.

>> What you gotta understand, it's showtime here at the baseball stadium.

You all have a script at the TV, we have a script, but those things can change.

So you've gotta be on top.

Tommy might have not known that the Jackson family was gonna be coming out that day.

Next thing he sees me out on the field, he knows he could watch me and he was able just to pull it right into the script, not even knowing.

He just rolls with it.

That's how good he was.

I don't care what sports it was, basketball, baseball, hockey, whatever.

You'd ask him a question, he'd know it or he'd tell you.

And then in the same token, Tommy always had his phone and he had his Christian music going at all times.

And he was a wonderful Christian to the dear Lord.

>> The biggest thing for me was is that I didn't really know what I was doing.

I was doing standup and improv in Chicago.

I was doing some sports entertainment stuff with some of the other Chicago teams.

And then when they said, oh, and you're gonna work with your Abbott to your Costello is going to be Tommy Williams.

And I was like, Tommy Williams from Score because he used to work for the Score AM 670 and he was the night guy.

And so when I was driving home from doing standup and doing improv and all that stuff and everything, I would listen to him and now here I am working with him.

I was like, oh, this is kind of cool, you know?

So I show up, go to the press box and there's Tommy.

And Tommy treated me like I was like his best friend.

Tommy was just Tommy man.

Whether he would admit it or not, he was the consummate professional.

Tommy was always prepared.

Tommy was always on his game.

He would listen for cues and things that I would send to him.

He would send him back to me.

And over time, those 20 years, 21 years, we got to, you know, we knew like, if I knew Tommy was taking a breath, that I would pick it up and be able to carry on what he was gonna do from there.

(somber music) >> We offered Tommy the jump and he was just so excited and so blessed, just thrilled, thrilled.

He just couldn't believe it.

But he was thrilled.

He loved Gary, Indiana.

He was with me from day one to rebuild it back brick by brick by brick.

He grew up in a beautiful subdivision Means Manor, right, by Roosevelt and was the star of Roosevelt and really was the star of every, every school around in northwest Indiana when he walked in.

>> Tom: From his time in Chicago at the Score to his time, you know, in the Steel Yard to his time with us at Lakeshore, he touched so many lives and I wish he had been around to be able to see that, to see how much of an impact he had on those people around him 'cause I don't think he knew, you know.

I don't think we ever really know.

We're just there doing the reports, we're there hosting the shows, you know, but those are lifelong relationships and lifelong bonds that people form with us.

And Tommy had so many of those.

>> When you do it for so long, you take it for granted.

I think I did for a long time.

We got to have that friendship and we got to know and talk and then it was just like automatic, you're on autopilot, you know, and you're in the middle of a nine game home stretch.

You're feeding off his energy and he's feeding off your energy and everything else and you just, you expect that, you know, and then you look up at the box and you're like, boy, it's not there.

Okay, I gotta carry this, you know.

He was the professional but also at the same time he was like your best friend when you came to the ballpark.

My ballpark buddy.

And I hope he's enjoying what I'm doing, but trying to, 'cause there's no way I could fill those shoes.

But just being able to exude that.

>> Tommy made everybody feel like a superstar.

I don't think I ever met anybody who didn't like Tommy.

He just like, he just brought people together.

>> The people that notice it the most are the fans.

And I guess, me, you know.

I'm missing my John Belushi to my Dan Aykroyd, you know.

So yeah.

>> Tommy will live on here forever.

Forever he will be here.

(gentle melancholic music) (gentle music) >> Hello, I'm Jen Trowbridge, president and CEO of CoAction.

Girls on the Run Northwest Indiana uses running goals as a starting block, encouraging empowerment and confidence.

With heavy doses of empathy for peers and mentorship, the program builds upon daily lessons that culminate with a 5K race and celebration of what it means to be a modern girl.

(gentle lively music) >> Melinda: It's not only about running, it's about learning different ways to empower girls, different ways to deal with different situations in everyday life.

They get to spend an hour and a half with some friends and we get to have good conversations.

>> Girls on the run.

>> That is so much fun.

>> The lessons we learned was like how to treat others like the way you wanna be treated.

>> Some of them are from fifth grade, so I know them a lot.

But the fourth graders, I've really interacted with them.

It's been a really good time getting to know them and their personalities and stuff.

I like it.

(gentle lively music) >> Melinda: We focus a lot on the curriculums, the 5 Cs plus one.

Confidence, character, care, connecting with others, competence and contribution.

It's our safe space so to say.

So in a big classroom, if these topics came up, it's harder to speak in front of a lot of different peers.

Here it's safe because they're able to talk and we say that everybody has a voice and it doesn't matter if we don't agree.

They're really good with each other.

And if they see somebody feeling down, then they're right there to encourage them.

I see the compassion with a lot of 'em.

It empowers them to try new things and to speak up for themselves.

(students applauding) >> Ms. Quasney, she's a great person.

I feel comfortable around them.

Ms. Slusher, she's really nice.

It's a great thing that I have coaches here that like to support you.

Ms. McKibbok, she's a great person.

All of them are lovely.

So yeah.

When I'm like kind of struggling, they kind of like cheer me on.

They help me get through around school, help me be a better person and learn responsibility.

>> Melinda: We talk about a lot about star power.

When you activate your star.

It means that you are feeling really good about yourself.

And we tell the girls that if they sometimes see somebody down, you might wanna try to activate their star.

A gentle hi, how are you doing?

Or give them a hug or a high five.

Or hey, you're looking good today.

Activating other people's stars just by being nicer to other people.

This morning I said, "Hey, I need my star activated.

I'm kind of feeling down this morning 'cause I'm so tired."

So one of the girls hugged me and she said, "I'm activating your star."

And of course it does make you feel better.

Elexa, I see her always just wanting to help others.

She's always been that type of person though, so I just think that she just loves to be included and loves to do the activities and she just shines.

She's always smiling, she's always just fun to be around.

She's very contagious and she just likes to spread laughter and joy.

>> Coach: A little bit.

>> Melinda: Regan takes the time to meet and talk to all the girls.

She will do whatever she needs to do to make sure everyone's included.

Same as Elexa.

Elexa would do the same thing.

Regan's our leader.

I see Regan doing very, I mean, I see her being somewhat important someday.

She's just a really fantastic girl that just, I don't know, I can't explain it.

Her character, she's just compassionate, loving, you name it.

Those personality traits that she just has, she has it all.

She's very smart, she's very caring and I just think that she's gonna do great things in the world.

>> My three coaches, Miss Quasney, Miss Slusher, and Miss McKibick, I like how they support us.

They make me feel comfortable here knowing I'm like supposed to like be here.

It's really fun, and like you can meet like other people and make new friends.

>> Melinda: When we're running, it's to build the physical part so we can be healthier.

When we run the 5K, it's more of an accomplishment.

They feel empowered that they're able to do anything, they're able to accomplish anything.

>> I'm excited to like finally like run something, I'm finally like good at kind of.

But I'm also kinda nervous because I never ran a 5K before.

(upbeat music) >> It was hard, but my mom and my brother motivated me to push, so I thank them for that.

Just felt good to do it another year.

(people cheering) >> Tarniesha: It was exciting, this is my first time doing it, last year my son did it.

But we just wanted to motivate her.

The atmosphere is amazing, to interact with each other from different schools.

I'm actually a teacher as well, so I was able to see my students who actually ran.

But you get to see so many different students, of so many different ethnic backgrounds that you all can connect to, and say we have something in common as far as us coming together to support girls over Illinois.

♪ Look how we made it this far ♪ >> Girls on the run, so much fun.

(upbeat music) >> Hurry up, girls.

(people cheering) (upbeat music) (people cheering) >> I'm so proud of you, good job!

>> I've done a lot of good things here.

I made a lot of new friends from fourth grade.

It's been a great time (gentle music) experiencing other things I haven't done before.

This makes me feel comfortable and confident.

It's a great place to be.

(upbeat music) >> Hi, I'm Whitney Reynolds, host of the Whitney Reynolds Show that airs right here on Lakeshore PBS.

You're about to watch an interview from my fall season with NASCAR's Brad Brad Keselowski.

Get ready to rev your engines as his interview takes us on an exhilarating ride through his unforgettable story.

This conversation isn't just a pit stop in the world of racing.

It's a deep dive into the life of a remarkable owner, driver who's touching lives beyond the racetrack.

On our season premiere, we chatted with NASCAR's Brad Keselowski on being a driver owned racer.

And today in our part two interview, we learn more about how he's not just owning his lane yet he's also opening it up for others.

>> Commentator: Three years of trying since Talladega, April 21, Brad Keselowski wins the Goodyear 400.

>> But then, you know, I just got to a spot in my life, I think, Whitney, where you're, you know, I kind of felt like I was in a spot of maturity beyond just driving the car and showing up and I needed something more.

>> You know, you had this, I don't wanna say low, I don't know what you would call it, where you weren't winning for consecutive races.

How do you mentally get back in and say, I can do it.

>> When I left a really established team with Penske Racing and Team Penske and NASCAR had all kinds of wins and championships and took on a new challenge of, all right, I'm gonna keep driving, but I'm also gonna own part of the team.

And you know, there was a big conversion there.

It's kinda like, all right, we're starting over as an entirely different team and trying to rebuild really almost from the ground up in some ways.

You know, when you have a 38 week season and you travel all over the country, you find yourself naturally gravitating to shorten weeks where like, oh, I can really win that race or run well, or whatever that might be, or ones that might be fun to go to, like here in Chicago.

And I think balancing those things, you know, with big work ethic, right?

There's no way to run around it.

It's a seven day a week job between being a dad, you know, having a position as a race car driver, owning part of a race team.

>> Owning part of it.

Yeah.

>> Owning companies outside of Motorsports and then being a leader of a charitable foundation as well.

>> Where did your heart for all this come from?

>> Yeah, you know, a couple different places, and I would say it's an aggregate of different positions throughout my life.

I had the opportunity to work with the United States Navy on a recruiting campaign through NASCAR, which was an eye-opening experience to one, get to meet a lot of the sailors and two, get to see a lot of the equipment, and probably three, be a part of, you know, some of the mourning and loss when someone was injured or unfortunately killed.

That was, like I said, an eye-opening experience.

I had some family that served as well and that is serving so that, you know, there's some pride that comes with it.

And third, I had a friend who served and was injured in battle.

You know, I think I kind of got to a spot in my life where I just maybe had a moment or a day of reckoning where I realized that hey I'm getting to do all these things like drive a race car and live a really a great life compared to the most of the world.

And recognizing that that comes with a freedom that we have in the United States that isn't shared.

And so it's a really unique point in time and humanity.

And with respect to that I think it's so important to have gratitude towards it, but have gratitude not just in words or thoughts but in action.

>> Right.

>> And gratitude in action is doing things for people.

It's helping them.

And so the foundation's goal is, it's 501 C3 foundation, is to help those who've made great sacrifices for the community with focus on military and first responders.

So there's no shortage of those men and women out there who've made great sacrifices for the community.

And some of those are physical, some of those are mental or a combination thereof.

And we're glad we get to honor them and to help them in various ways, whether that's through initiatives like Fisher House, which is somewhat of a caregiving house when a soldier's family is in hospital >> Oh, wow.

>> in need.

>> Or through tribute to veterans programs, which is just different programs we have to honor veterans at races, whether it be on my race car or some other means.

And then we have some hospital awareness programs, which is great for when a veteran might be in a hospital and, you know, is kind of in a tough stage in their life and their caregiving.

But I'm glad to lead the foundation credit to our team that does the work where I just kind of get to play the vision and meet a few people and shake a few hands.

But I'm honored to be a part of it and I think it's a really important part of who I am.

>> Thank you so much for coming on.

>> Thank you, Whitney.

Appreciate you.

(gentle music) >> Hello, I'm Sherri Ziller, president and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.

Tom Sourlis has pursued a lifelong interest in arts and crafts, and through that pursuit, he has made many kaleidoscopic art pieces using thin glass fusing.

For Tom, art has provided a spark of inspiration and creativity that has lasted him a lifetime.

With the help of his partner, Twila Butler, they fan those sparks into the flames that create one of a kind glass art.

(gentle music) >> Very exciting when something new appears right then and there in the process much more than the finished piece.

It's that spark through the sketching or through the, just throwing things about that where the real creativity comes from.

(soft music) I've always made things.

As a child, I loved making things, you know, starting with models, model airplanes, and you know, all the things that kids make as plastic models and wood balsa models and all those.

I just like working with materials and manipulating materials and have worked with weaving and painting through the years.

About 1974, there was a Renaissance in stained glass going on.

It had been out of favor in the art world for decades, and then for some reason in the early '70s, it sparked and really took off.

Manufacturers started making more chic glass around the country, and became aware of that, and started doing stained glass.

Later discovered fusing, which was an offshoot of the stained glass work that people wanted to have more freedom, more ability to work like painters, rather than craftsmen assembling pieces.

When I became aware of it, I started doing that, and that switched me from stained glass to diffusing completely.

Twila is a much more determined craftsman that is gonna get that piece done and get it done right, and she brought a whole level of improvement in the craftsmanship of our pieces.

At that time, we were doing stained glass.

There's more craftsmanship required in that than there is in fusing.

Fusing is more quick ideas, like painting, it happens fast.

Whereas the stained glass pieces are built slowly.

She can put in 60 to 200 hours into one piece.

My mind could not allow that.

I couldn't finish a piece that took that long.

And now, what Twila has shifted to is building what we call components, the smaller, tiniest pieces, she'll make them out of powders, whether they're leaves, or petals, or stems, or whatever we are working on.

She build most of those, and then I store them and put them together in a finished piece by assembling them and working on what I call a sketch board, which is a light table where light comes from beneath through a clear piece of glass.

And I will sprinkle pieces about and shift them, move them to where I start to get an idea and then build off of that.

(uplifting music) I cannot duplicate a piece.

It just doesn't work for me.

(chuckles) It becomes, it takes control to duplicate something.

And control in art is, I would say, a bad thing, for the most part.

As soon as I started controlling it and making it the way I think it ought to be becomes so uninteresting.

Being too literal or too controlled, you lose spontaneity.

The fantasy, that spark in a person when they look at something, they're not quite sure what it is, and they need to examine it further and get a better feel for it.

And it's hard to do.

It's difficult to know where to stop with a line, you know?

It's part of the process.

And I can't tell you how many pieces I've thrown away or just...

They were so bad.

(chuckles) And it can't be fixed because you can't.

Again, if an area is too dark, you're not gonna lighten it.

So it's gone.

I think many artists will tell you that they overworked the piece and wished they could go back to five minutes ago or whatever the timeframe is because they had it and they didn't realize it, and then it, I'll say, ruined the peace for them, and they're not happy with it.

That's happened to me many times.

And there, again, lies a problem.

Where do you stop?

Because you'll get, so many times, get to a place where I think, "I'm done with something," and then I realize, "No, it needs something else."

And that can be days later, weeks later, months later, minutes later.

You never know.

It's just part of that whole.

It's really the wonderful experience.

I mean, completely exhilarating.

It's exciting and it lasts.

It lasts for the days, for days even.

It depends, yeah.

Left glass for as long as two years throughout that time span, just because of the shift in my interest, and the way ideas come to me, and my needs is to make different things in different ways.

It's just something I have to do.

(uplifting music) (bright music) >> Once again, I'm your CEO and President of Lakeshore Public Media, Chuck Roberts.

I'd like to thank all of my co-hosts for sharing some of the best stories our region has to offer.

For more great local information, entertainment find us wherever you find content or download our app to keep in touch on the go.

Lakeshore Public Media is a community effort.

If you have an idea for a story, reach us at info@lakeshorepublicmedia.org.

Maybe next time we'll highlight the unique people, places, and experience that are your Northwest Indiana favorites.

Until then, be kind and celebrate everything that makes our community great.

(upbeat music) >> I have a very strong connection to other students.

Everyone makes an effort to help each other.

I'll remember the feeling of being here, the feeling that I was a part of a family.

>> Announcer: Strack and VanTil is hiring full and part-time positions for deli, floral, bakery, department managers and more with flexible work schedules, sign on bonuses, paid vacation and benefits.

Learn more at Strackandvantil.com.

>> Presenter: Doing as much as you can, as quickly as you can is important to me.

Life is short and the earlier we get started helping our community, the the better off our community will be.

>> Announcer: As you travel across Northwest Indiana and into Chicago, take Lakeshore Public Media 89.1 FM along for the ride.

With our newly expanded signal we're with you from the southern corner of Michigan and into Chicago, and of course across Northwest Indiana.

From the dunes at Lake Michigan to the windmills of Wolcott, Lakeshore Public Media 89.1 FM is along for the ride, wherever you call home.

(bright music) >> Announcer: Additional support for Lakeshore Public Media and local programming is made possible by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(bright music)