Thank you!

Thanks to all who joined us for our Sip & Stroll this year!  It was a beautiful afternoon filled with shopping and dining all to support our League and community initiatives!  Your support helps the Junior League of Peoria create meaningful impact for children’s mental health initiatives in our community.

A special thank you to all our sponsors again!

Platinum Sponsors

Country Financial – The Carlson Group

Peoria Chiefs

Paluska Plumbing

Guerrini & Guerrini

Carlson Jewelers

Bremer Jewelry

Cumulus Media

Gold Sponsors

Peoria Ballet

Elias, Meginnes & Seghetti, P.C.

33 Room

Simantel

Better Banks

Bronze Sponsors

Moon Family Dental

Lonesome Jones

Country Financial – The Zaiser Agency (John Zaiser)

Curves – Kim Martin

Gendron Landscaping – Jerime Gendron

Kim’s Academy of Dance

CEFCU

Mindful Things

The Junior League of Peoria to Unveil Honorary “Junior League Way” Street Sign
in Celebration of 90th Anniversary
PEORIA, Ill. — March 5, 2026 — The Junior League of Peoria (JLP) will celebrate its
90th anniversary with the unveiling of an honorary “Junior League Way” street sign on
Wednesday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
The unveiling commemorates a milestone in the organization’s history: March 5, 1936, when the Junior League of Peoria became an official member of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI). For nine decades, JLP has remained committed to developing the potential of women and improving the Peoria community through effective action and leadership.
This honorary designation is a meaningful tribute to the generations of women who have dedicated their time, talents, and passion to strengthening our community. As we
mark 90 years of service, we are proud to celebrate our legacy while continuing to build a vibrant future for Peoria.  The public, community partners, and media are invited to attend the unveiling and join the Junior League of Peoria in honoring its longstanding impact and continued commitment to service.

Event Details:
What: Honorary “Junior League Way” Street Sign Unveiling
When: Wednesday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Owens Center parking lot (near Peoria Players Theatre), Peoria, IL
Sign Location: University Street and Lake Avenue

Media Opportunities
The Junior League of Peoria welcomes opportunities for on-air interviews, feature stories, or coverage directly from the event. Media representatives interested in speaking with program organizers or visiting one of the sessions are encouraged to reach out to schedule interviews.

About the Junior League of Peoria

Founded in 1936, the Junior League of Peoria is a nonprofit organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods: Supporting Families Through Social-Emotional Learning

The Junior League of Peoria (JLP) and the Heart of Illinois United Way (HOI United Way) have re-launched Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods, a program dedicated to equipping parents and caregivers with essential tools for supporting children’s emotional well-being. These free educational sessions include dinner and childcare, making them accessible to all families.

Upcoming Sessions:
? October 8, October 22, November 5
? 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
? Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum

Click here to register

Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods: Supporting Families Through Social-Emotional Learning

The Junior League of Peoria (JLP) and the Heart of Illinois United Way (HOI United Way) have re-launched Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods, a program dedicated to equipping parents and caregivers with essential tools for supporting children’s emotional well-being. These free educational sessions include dinner and childcare, making them accessible to all families.

Upcoming Sessions:
? March 5, March 19, and April 2
? 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
? Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum

Click here for more information and to register for a seminar.

Want to help support programs like this? Join us for our Spring Fling Sip & Stroll on April 12th, a fun-filled fundraiser featuring delicious food, drinks, entertainment, and exciting activities—all while making a difference in our community. Learn more and get your tickets here.

Click here for more information and to register for this session! 

Junior League of Peoria and Heart of Illinois United Way Re-launch ‘Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods’

Join us for the re-launch of the Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods program, a collaborative effort by the Junior League of Peoria (JLP) and Heart of Illinois United Way (HOI United Way). This initiative is designed to provide essential social-emotional education to parents and caregivers within our community.

Program Highlights

Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods offers neighborhood-based educational sessions that include dinner and childcare for all guests, ensuring a supportive and convenient environment for learning.

What You Will Learn: Our program, developed by HOI United Way, covers five critical areas of social-emotional health:

1. Self-Regulation
2. Decision-Making
3. Self-Awareness
4. Building Relationships
5. Social Awareness

These sessions, held at the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum, are free for all participants. While parents and caregivers engage in valuable training, JLP volunteers will provide dinner and entertainment for their children.

Additional Benefits:

• All families attending a session will receive an explorer pass membership to the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum, offering further opportunities for family learning and fun.

Event Details

Register For a Session

• Sessions: March 5, March 19, and April 2
• Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
• Location: Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum, Glen Oak Park, 2218 North Prospect Road, Peoria, IL 61603

Supporting Our Schools

Junior League of Peoria has also invested $5,000 in grant funds to support HOI United Way’s S3 programming. This funding is distributed among the top five ranked elementary school programs that requested resources for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to improve youth mental health. The schools benefiting from these grants include:

• Whittier Primary School
• Lincoln K-8 School
• Elise Ford Allen Academy
• RISE Academy
• Annie Jo Gordon Community Learning Center

These funds support various social-emotional programs such as:

• Yoga Classes
• Social Emotional Learning Incentives
• Therapy Dogs
• 7 Mindsets Positive Behavior Interventions
• Support Supplies
• Mindfulness Activities
• Self-Care Supplies to build self-esteem

About Junior League of Peoria

The Junior League of Peoria (JLP) is a dedicated organization of over 250 women committed to advancing women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. For over 85 years, JLP has been a cornerstone of the Peoria community, spearheading projects like the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, Kids in the Kitchen, JULEP’s Closet, and the Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods program.

As a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI), we are part of a global network committed to promoting voluntarism and developing the potential of women.

To learn more about our work and how you can get involved, visit juniorleagueofpeoria.org.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact:

• Sandy Garza, President, Junior League of Peoria
• Phone: 309-696-1156
• Email: juniorleagueofpeoria@gmail.com
• Address: 1013 W. Lake Ave., Peoria, IL 61614

Join us in making a difference in our community by participating in the Healthy Minds, Healthy Neighborhoods program. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Peoria.

The iconic Sonar Tide sculpture that sits between the Peoria Civic Center & City Hall recently got a much needed makeover.  The Junior League was an integral part of bringing this piece of artwork to the Peoria community back in 1983.

Peoria, Aug. 16, 2021 — Nearly 40 years after Ronald Bladen’s last large-scale public sculpture was  installed in downtown Peoria, the pivotal artwork is undergoing a much-needed facelift. 

“By preserving Sonar Tide, we can re-educate the community about this and the many other public  sculptures in Peoria through our partnerships with community and government groups,” says Christina  Robinson, Junior League of Peoria President. 

The $45,000 Sonar Tide restoration project is financed by the Junior League of Peoria and its  members, with support from sculpture benefactors John and Sharon Amdall, and grants from the  Community Foundation of Central Illinois. The Junior League sought input from the Peoria Civic  Center, the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the City of Peoria to make the project happen. 

The Junior League consulted with the Riverfront Museum’s John Morris and Bill Conger to find the  right experts to complete the restoration. Bladen (known as a father of minimalism,) designed Sonar  Tide after several visits to Peoria. His Sonar Tide reflects Peoria’s industrial history, its relationship to  the Illinois River, and the Civic Center designed by Phillip Johnson.  

Bradley University artists Fisher Stolz and Jaci Willis, along with graduate Taylor Fawcett are sanding,  sealing and refinishing the swooping wave that sits between City Hall and the Peoria Civic Center.  Works by Stolz and Willis are on display at Donovan Park, in Chicago, and elsewhere. 

Sonar Tide was made in Peoria by Peorians. Van Buskirk Construction Co. built the sculpture from  Bladen’s designs. Born Paint mixed and delivered the finish and sealants. Pat Berres, who worked at  Born when the sculpture was built, consulted with Stolz and Willis on the restoration and provided modern products to match the original finish. 

Phase one of the project is wrapping up as Stolz and Willis allow the paint to cure. Phase two will  begin soon, adding new landscaping and lighting to protect and highlight the sculpture. 

The Sonar Tide restoration is attracting attention from other Illinois artists and sculptors who’ve driven  to Peoria to see the work in progress.

“It is no accident this happens as Peoria itself, having weathered the worst year in recent history,  begins to redefine itself,” says Conger, curator at the Riverfront Museum. “The very upward energy  and surging possibility that Sonar Tide spoke of Peoria is clearly in motion and it is spectacular to  see.” 

Thousands of people walk by Sonar Tide each week on their way to meetings at City Hall or to attend  a sporting event, concert or other event at the Civic Center. Often people pose for photos with Sonar  Tide in the background. But do they know of the art’s significance? Do they understand how it helped  revitalize downtown Peoria in the past? 

News articles:

https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/a-peoria-sculpture-is-getting-a-45000-facelift/ 

https://www.wcbu.org/2021-08-26/peorias-sonar-tide-sculpture-is-getting-a-much-needed-makeover