The Family of Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic would like to announce

a special event to remember and honor Lisa on the one-year anniversary of her disappearance.

There will be a Fundraiser Walk in Plainfield, IL

benefiting the Guardian Angel Community Services of Joliet

*in Partnership with the Exchange Club of Plainfield

Where: Village Green, 648 West Chicago Street, Plainfield, IL

(Mapquest link of Village Green location)

When: 1:00 pm Sunday, April 27th
Registration begins at 12:00

Same day registration $20 per individual, $35 for a family.

Post-Walk Live ConcertCome enjoy the music of Joe Cantafio of 101^st Rock Division at Front Street Cantina restaurant at about 3 pm.  Admission is free but a donation of $5 per family is requested with proceeds going to Guardian Angel services. Cantafio is an accomplished artist who with 101^st Rock Division entertains troops throughout the world. (www.joecantafio.com/).

The one year anniversary of the disappearance of Lisa Ruttenberg Stebic is fast approaching. Lisa went missing without a trace on April 30^th, 2007. Lisa’s parents and family have decided that they would like to give back to the community that has done so much for our family. To remember Lisa, we are holding a Fundraiser Walk called “Lisa’s Walk for Guardian Angel Community Services“ on Sunday, April 27^th.

The purpose of Lisa’s Walk will be to remember Lisa Stebic, to raise awareness of domestic violence and to assist in the prevention of future domestic violence by donating the proceeds from this event to the Guardian Angel’s Community Services’ Groundwork Domestic Violence Program, Sexual Assault Service Center and Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

April is National Child Abuse Awareness month, and the newly chartered Plainfield Exchange Club will partner with Lisa’s family to hold this event. Exchange Clubs is known as America’s service club whose members make a difference within their communities through programs of service in Americanism, youth, community service and their National program of preventing child abuse.

Guardian Angel Community Services, formerly Guardian Angel Home, was founded in Joliet in 1897 as an orphanage, run by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Mary Immaculate. Guardian Angel Community Services offer Domestic Violence crisis services, counseling, foster care and many domestic and child abuse prevention programs. They strive to help victims become survivors.

“The first anniversary of Lisa’s disappearance will be very difficult for our family. We have chosen to honor her by doing something positive for the community. We hope to raise awareness about domestic violence and child abuse, and raise donations for an organization, Guardian Angel, that works to prevent abuse and offers many services for victims.” – Melanie Greenberg, family spokesperson

The Plainfield Exchange Club encourages area businesses to become sponsors of the event.

“As our first signature fundraising event, it is a tremendous honor and privilege to assist Lisa’s family while also building awareness of the domestic violence and child abuse prevention and counseling services that are provided through the Guardian Angel Community Services organization.” - Dave Wentz, Lincolnland Exchange Clubs District President and co-founder of the Exchange Club of Plainfield.

Email us at findlisastebic@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering or becoming a sponsor for the event.  Some extra t-shirts will be available for same day registration, but will be first-come, first served while they last.

If you cannot attend, but would still like to make a donation, please send your donation here:

 Lincolnland Foundation for Youth

Attn:  Robert Epley

First Midwest Bank

24509 W. Lockport Street

Plainfield, IL 60544

Barks for Butterflies !!!  

On Sunday, October 28th - the fundraiser for the Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund at Biscuits & Bows Grooming and Wellness Center in Palatine - raised over $2,100.

We thank EVERYONE who brought their pets to the center for a dog wash or  pet spa treatment!

Many had their pets seen by Animal Massage Therapist Laurie Kay or Animal Communicator and Reiki Master Rebecca Morvack.

Our sincere thanks go to Michelle or Karen at Biscuits & Bows for staging this heartfelt event for Lisa’s Reward Fund..and involving a subject near & dear to Lisa’s heart - the love of animals !

Here is what Michelle of Biscuit & Bows wrote to us, following the fundraiser:

“Sunday’s fundraiser was a success!!  We raised over $2,100  and counting.  We will be leaving the donation bottles in our front lobby and will continue to sell the remaining jewelry.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to honor Lisa.”

Biscuits & Bows
1945 Plum Grove Rd
(Squire Shopping Center)
(northwest corner of Euclid & Plum Grove Road)
Palatine, Illinois 60067
847-202-PUPS (7877)

There was an amazing response to the Shorewood benefit garage sale for the Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund! The garage sale raised $2225! Thank you so much to everyone who donated items, who volunteered their time or who came an shopped!

Everyone was amazed with the quantity of items donated, and Karen’s neighbors were also amazed at the quantity of people this Benefit has brought to their neighborhood. Karen Jahnke told us there were so many items her driveway and garage began to look like a flea market and it spilled over into a neighbor’s yard. We had some really great people that donated great raffle baskets along with the Chicago Cubs ball.

But the biggest thanks goes to Karen Jahnke. We don’t know how she does it! Lisa’s family wants to express how much your hard work has meant to us and how it touched our hearts.

Thank you to all these great donation volunteers & those who made monetary donations:

Kathy Vocu ~~~ from Joliet

Gina Foote & neighbors ~~~ New Lenox
Lisa’s Aunt Diana & Uncle ~~~
Jody Kmetz ~~~ Aurora
Barb & Greg Scheff ~~~ Bolingbrook

Tracy Pavlson ~~~ Naperville

Sylvie Kemp ~~~ Plainfield
Wendy Jomant ~~~ Plainfield (from Lincoln Elementary)

Thomas Davenport ~~~ Wilmington

Chris Kraft ~~~ Shorewood

Debbie Stewart ~~~ Oak Park

Kerri Goodwin ~~~ Shorewood
Jenni Riley ~~~ Shorewood

Elizabeth Bledsoe ~~~ Shorewood

The Ambrozich Family ~~~ Shorewood

Julissa Dailey ~~~ Shorewood

Dawn & Larry Hull ~~~ Shorewood

Lydia B. ~~~ Plainfield ( Nature’s Crossing)

Margie Kosinski ~~~ Plainfield ( Nature’s Crossing)

Will County Mother of Twins Club ~~~ Will County area

Betty ~~~ Joliet

Deana Justak ~~~ Shorewood

Missy Stack ~~~ Shorewood

The Greenberg Family ~~~ ( Lisa’s family)

Jeff & Jeanette Armitage ~~~ Naperville

Paula Bosak ~~~ Shorewood

Charlotte Kic ~~~ Shorewood

Jennifer Koss ~~~ Joliet

The Ritchey Family ~~~ Shorewood

Thank you for the wonderful raffle basket donations:

At Home America basket ~~~ By Gina Foote of New Lenox
Creating Your Style basket ~~~~ By Barb Scheff of Bolingbrook
Pampered Chef basket ~~~ By Kerri Ciesla of Shorewood

Autographed baseball by ‘Ryan Dempster’ ~~~~ By the Chicago Cubs

Floral Arrangement ~~~~ By Vicki from Heavenly Creations Design of Shorewood
Premier Jewelry $25.00 gift certificate & Jewelry cleaner ~~~ by Julie from Plainfield

The winners of these wonderful baskets are:

Judy Thayer ~ At Home America basket
Lisa ~ Creating Your Style basket

Gina Faught ~ Heavenly Creations floral arrangement

Annie & Ralph Johnson ~ Ryan Dempster autographed Cubs baseball

Kathleen Goeken ~ Pampered Chef basket

Deb Miklic ~ Premier Designs gift card & Jewelry cleaner

Message from Garage Sale organizer Karen Jahnke:

The Lisa Stebic Garage Sale Benefit in Shorewood turned out to be a huge response! Thank you to all who donated your garage sale goods, we could not have done this without you! Thank you to all who shopped and spread the word about this huge sale, we had people come from here to West Chicago to even Gurnee! We are very grateful of the support & kind words you shared, and the generous amount of donations that you made to helping us find our Lisa, along with your garage sale purchases.

Thank you to all of those who volunteered to helping me make this garage sale such a huge monetary success. It is very sad how we have to be brought together under these circumstances, but very heartwarming to be together doing this special deed for our friend/family member Lisa Stebic.

Thank you to my husband, Chris Jahnke, my kids Ryna & Riley, many friends, Tammi Watson, Debbie Zolnierowicz, Annette & Vince Glascow, Debbie and Sami Herrero, Hazbi, Taylor Glascow, Barb Scheff, Kerri Ciesla, Michelle Wrobel, Laurrie & Jim Beingenheimer, Jenny Beingenheimer, Rachel Weber, Lisa’s Aunt ~ Marlene Greenberg, Lisa’s sister ~ Debbie Ruttenberg. Thank you all for all of your help in setting up this massive garage sale, or helping with all the long hours of working it. I could never have done this alone, with the crowd that we had. We are all a great team and their are even many more out there in this Lisa Stebic Army~ WE WILL stay strong & POSITIVE & WE WILL find what happened to our Lisa, We will have closure! It is my honor to be able to have taken on this very long exhausting mission to make this garage sale a successful one along with the many others & I am glad I was able to help in such a big way, my heart feels very happy to be able to do this for Lisa’s children. You both will always be in my heart! Again, Thank you cannot be said enough!!

Karen Jahnke

Barb & Gregg Scheff  hosted the latest “Find Lisa Stebic Garage Sale” at their home in Bolingbrook,  last weekend …bringing in $1,541.

This wondrous gift from the community has now brought Lisa’s Reward Fund to OVER $70,000 !!!!

Barb wrote this to Lisa’s family and friends: 

“The garage sale was a success and people are supportive. We made $ 1541.00 plus lot’s of change.

There were some people that just stopped by to talk about Lisa and give their love and support.  

Everyone Loves LISA!  I know for me that I have no doubt that she was an Angel and was very much loved.  

Being so close to Lisa’s family and friends, my husband and I feel like we were blessed in knowing Lisa, her family and friends are AMAZING people.

If you notice in the pictures that we had people shopping in the dark, we also had children that would come up and ask their parents if they could have some money to just donated to help find Lisa.”

Lisa’s family cannot thank enough  all those who have organized, worked and supported the many “Find Lisa” Garage Sales staged in Naperville, Plainfield, Shorewood & Bolingbrook.

Your dedication, hard work and focus on helping to Find Lisa Stebic has been beyond phenomenal (superhuman, more like!)

We KNOW she is out there…waiting to be found.

We just need to entice that ONE person to come forward and tell us WHERE she is…and the reward fund is a key component to making that happen! 

Please see below the many members of “Lisa’s Army” who made this past weekend’s FLS garage sale a success (and God Bless each and every one of you!)

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Thank you for your Support and Donation’s

Joe Borsche                                        Bolingbrook   

Karen Janke                                        Shorewood

Tammy Watson                                  Plainfield

Gigi Abogado  & Family                     Bolingbrook

Marty & Pam Habada                        Bolingbrook

Amanda Ramey                                  Bolingbrook

Roy Denon                                          Plainfield

John Herman                                      Plainfield

Matt                                                    Bolingbrook

Donna Robinson                                Woodridge

Bernie Chesner                                   Plainfield

Donnie Maskeri                                  Romeoville

Leslie Jones                                         Bolingbrook

Volunteers that donated their time and I could not have done it without them, they were amazing!

Tammi Watson

Karen Janke

Laura Burke

And my incredible husband, Greg Scheff

Barb Scheff is now hosting the “Find Lisa Stebic Garage Sale” at her home at 682 Lily Cache Lane in Bolingbrook. She is running it the of weekend Oct. 4th, 5th and 6th …and needs donations, customers and volunteers to help!

If you would like to volunteer, get directions and/or donate items please get in touch with Barb at 630-453-8179 / teamscheff@sbcglobal.com Thanks !!

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Many, many heartfelt thanks to all who made last weekend’s benefit garage sale such a success! $1,081 was raised for the Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund.

Tammi Watson held a “Find Lisa Stebic” garage sale at her home in Plainfield on August 10-11, 2007 ..and was helped by so very many caring people.

Here are the Raffle Prize Winner List:

Chuck Danbrauskas…….. backgammon game

Khara…………………….…..Tastefully Simple pack

Karen Ulicky……………….beautiful butterfly bag

(created by Lisa’s friend - Karen Jahnke )

Austin Johnson……………..perfume/Celine cd pack

Donations of items was greatly appreciated

Items Donated by - Denise Plummer
Sharon Bower
Lydia, Craig, and Victoria Brazeau
Carillon Lakes neighbors
Greg and Linda Chellino
Pat Chrisman
Denise and Erik Costantino
Margie and Ray Kosinski Family
Daniel Casillas and Family
Ryan and Carol Evers
Jerri Zimmerman
Tom Webb Family
Bob and Marilyn Guerrieri
Angelica Rameriz
Bob and Gloria Semmler
Christina King
Rachel Rimgate and Family
Gerrie Gorecki
Darice Evers
The Thomas Family
Jim and Ginny Rossi
Indian Trail School
Karen Jahnke
Rosemary Fontaine and her Boys
The Watson Family..and more!

Thank you so much to Tammi and all her volunteers for holding this wonderful fundraiser to help find Lisa!

Man-power - Kevin Watson, Rosemary Fontaine & her boys
Karen Jahnke, Laurrie and Jim Bingenhiemer
Cindy Evans and family & even “a few kind strangers”

The Pancake Breakfast for the Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund raised  $3240 on July 1!

There were almost 300 adults served and as many children, as well.  We were so glad to see so many people from the community come out to show their support.

Thank you so much to the Jaycees, and to all who came to volunteer! 

The donations of food and supplies were simply amazing.  Lisa’s family cannot fully express the extent of our gratitude to everyone.

Big Thank You’s

go to the

Plainfield  Jaycees,

Applebees,

WalMart,

Starbucks, McDonalds, Sara Lee,

Jimmy Dean’s, Coca Cola,

Culvers, Jewel, Fetco, Sodexho, Baci’s,

Ken’s Beverage, Larry’s Diner,

Marriott Springhill Suites in Bolingbrook 

Principal Ed Boswell & staff of the Ira Jones Middle School (for giving our Benefit a HOME!)

..and Ass’t Chief Jon Stratton

& the Plainfield Fire Department for helping

to make this benefit possible!

 Special thanks also go to friend Lori Jewell of lorijeanscandles.com whose “Light a Candle For Lisa” soy candle sales at the Breakfast Benefit generated $456 for Lisa’s Reward Fund.

 THANK YOU - It was a TREMENDOUS SUCCESS !!!

Our Sincerest Thanks to Zachary Kraus and all the Plainfield Jaycees who joined up with the many thoughtful & concerned volunteers from FindLisaStebic.com

All came together to “suds up” many a dirty car -  in support of “The Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund”…and found great comraderie, in doing such a good deed!

Our Gratitude also goes out to all the businesses who made this very special benefit both possible & more enjoyable:  Plainfield Automotive, Napa Auto Parts, Starbucks of Plainfield, Jimmy John’s Sub Shop, Kinkos of Plainfield, Home Depot and Dunkin Donuts.

_____________________________________________

Here are some quotes from just a few of those who Volunteered:

“It was a blast and at times very busy (with 6 cars lined up!). I think it was a great lesson for our boys on giving and working not for man but for the LORD. It was nice to meet others who care so deeply.”

_____________________________________________

“I was impressed with the people volunteering at the car wash. There was a spirit of comraderie and working together, even though I’m sure hardly any of us knew each other. I was also impressed with Zach’s energy and commitment.

I will never forget that experience volunteering on that hot day in June–it was one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done. And yes, there were definitely some laughs. My favorite was the “hose” man who kept saying he was going to win the wet t-shirt contest.
My prayers are with this family.”

_____________________________________________

(In response to your thank you card)  ”…I should be thanking you and your family for the way you have inspired our world. Lisa has brought so much to so many. My family considers it an honor to be in your midst. Blessings and strength to you!”

_____________________________________________

I had A GREAT TIME at the car wash! I held a sign and yelled, hooted and waved to get people to come into the car wash! IT WAS FUN!!!!! The minute we got out there, we were reeling them in left and right!  Some people stopped just to give a donation without a car wash.  Extra Thanks to Mark Greenberg and his dad who ran out and got more water, ice and Gatorade. The  JIMMY JOHN’S sandwiches were GREAT!  YYYUUUMMM!!!!   FUN WAS HAD BY ALL - No Doubt!

_____________________________________________

With love and gratitude,

Lisa’s Family

We have received some beautiful pictures (courtesy of community member, Cheryl Steele) of last Saturday’s candlelight vigil and balloon release.  These can be found on the Thank You to the Community  page.

_{To volunteer, contact: findlisastebic@gmail.com}

HELP!!! We NEED Volunteers!!!!

Please…Save the following dates for “Find Lisa” events in Plainfield, Ill. - benefiting “The Lisa Stebic and Children’s Fund”:

___________________________________________________

1)  Sunday July 1 (8:30am - 1pm) -

 PANCAKE BREAKFAST IS ON !!!!!!

Ira Jones Middle School - Plainfield, IL

The Plainfield and Northeast Region Chapters of the Jaycee’s “Find Lisa” Pancake Breakfast 

Special Announcement:

48 Hours of CBS will be at the Pancake Breakfast! (Filming/documenting the incredible, enduring support offered by the community of Plainfield, Illinois - in search of their own missing-mother-of-two) 

Our event is going to be held Sunday July 1st at Ira Jones Middle School in Plainfield - located at 15320 Wallin Drive, Plainfield, Il 60544. 

The breakfast will begin at 8:30am and will go until 1:00 pm so we’ll need an AM crew there from (8:00 am - 10:45am) and a PM crew from (10:45am - 1:30pm). You’re more than welcome to stay the entire event!! 

Please let us know if we can put you on the volunteer list.  Your response would be appreciated by Monday June 25th.

Thank you!

Zachary Kraus            and                  Leigh Harris

President                           Community Events Coordinator

Plainfield Jaycees                         FindLisaStebic.com

To volunteer for this event, please e-mail us at findlisastebic@gmail.com

Big Thank You’s go to the Northeast Jaycees, Applebees, Ass’t Chief Jon Stratton & the Plainfield Fire Department for helpingto make this benefit possible! 

___________________________________________________

2) Sunday June 24th - 

A “Find Lisa” Benefit at Jimmy John’s Sub Shop, Plainfield   - Customers Wanted - 10% of all sandwiches sold will go to The Lisa Stebic and Children’s Fund.

 Jimmy John’s is located at:  

12632 S. Route #59, Suite 200, Plainfield     815-436-8002

“On Sunday, June 24, 2007, between 11:00 am and 9:00 pm come have lunch or dinner with us!

Jimmy John’s will donate 10% of the sales placed by friends and families to raise money for The Lisa Stebic and Childrens Fund !”

We are so very, very thankful for everyone’s continued support…and steady, incoming requests to volunteer. Without you, we would be powerless to continue the search for Lisa Stebic! We also thank the Plainfield Jaycees, Jimmy John’s Sub Shop, Starbucks of Plainfield, Kinkos, Home Depot and the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce for  helping us to organize these upcoming benefits for Lisa and her two children.

With much love and gratitude,
Lisa’s Family

_________________________________

 The Plainfield Jaycees’ “Find Lisa“ Benefit Car Wash at Plainfield Automotive nets nearly One-Thousand Dollars in donations to Lisa’s Reward Fund !BIG thanks to  the Plainfield Jaycees, their President Zachary Kraus - and ALL the FLS.com Volunteers who made this hugely successful benefit possible!     You are all simply amazing!