2022 Naperville Mayor’s Interfaith Community Breakfast

By: Joy Kleinhans, NCTV17
Published: December 09, 2022 at 4:00 PM CST

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The Naperville community gathered to celebrate the season on December 9, 2022, at the Mayor’s Interfaith Community Breakfast sponsored in part by Friedrich-Jones & Overman-Jones Funeral Homes. Mayor Steve Chirico welcomed the public to the annual event held at the Fry Family YMCA for an inspirational morning. The theme for the 2022 Naperville Mayor’s Interfaith Community Breakfast was “The Promise of Hope” and the event featured keynote speaker Tom Beerntsen, former CEO of the Heritage YMCA.  All proceeds from the breakfast provide financial assistance to children, adults, and families to enjoy the many benefits of YMCA membership regardless of their ability to pay.

About Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico

Steve Chirico was first elected in 2015 as Naperville’s first mayor in two decades. A seasoned business leader, Mayor Chirico understands how a well-balanced community, a strong business climate, and a solid economic development plan impacts the vitality of a world-class community. Now in his second term, Mayor Chirico’s administration continues to focus on public safety improvements, encourage development, and address the need for housing options for millennials and senior citizens. 

Mayor Chirco has lived in Naperville for more than half a century and has observed the ongoing changes in the city firsthand. He and his wife Julie, have seven children all born and raised in Naperville.

About The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

Over 150 years ago, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago was created as a place where community members could find growth and support. Today, the YMCA of Metro Chicago has 14 centers, five camps, and nearly 100 extension sites, making the Y one of the largest social enterprises in Chicago. More than 200,000 YMCA members and over half a million Chicagoans rely on the Y each year for social guidance and individual empowerment. The Y has remained at the heart and soul of personal development in Chicagoland and intends to do so for generations to come.

About Tom Beerntsen

Tom Beerntsen has a unique 50-year history of leadership with the YMCA. He worked for the Y for 30 years in six different communities of various sizes. During his 20-year ownership of his family’s chocolate business, as a volunteer, he chaired his local Y, a regional Y camp, and the board of YMCA of the USA. While in Naperville Beerntsen, helped to grow membership and the annual campaign, reduce indebtedness, built a strong staff culture, and elevated the visibility of the Heritage Y Group. He is currently retired and living with his wife Penny in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin.

The 2022 Naperville Mayor’s Interfaith Community Breakfast will be presented on Channel 17 throughout the month of December on Naperville Community Television.