Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament celebrating 120 years!

Written on January 7, 2025.

Norge Ski Jump Tournament celebrating 120 years

The Norge Annual Winter Ski Jump Tournament is celebrating its 120th birthday this year! To put that time frame in perspective, the first tournament was held as Teddy Roosevelt was elected to his second term – and two years before the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series.

Once again, daring ski jumpers will descend on Fox River Grove and shoot into the sky to the delight of fans wearing Viking helmets and ringing cowbells.

Admission buttons can be bought for $20 directly from the Norge website, or from local merchants, or at the gate for $25; children 12 and under get in free. The Norge Ski Jump is the oldest operating ski jump in the nation, and it’s spawned a lot of traditions over more than a century, hence the aforementioned headgear and cowbells. Click here to learn about them, courtesy of our good friends at Naturally McHenry County.

While Mother Nature hasn’t been very generous this winter in the snow department, Norge can make its own, provided the temperatures stay cold. Check Norge’s website, and Facebook and Instagram pages, for weather updates as the tournament date approaches.

CMAP newsletters help tell McHenry County’s story

It looks like McH Thrive isn’t the only e-newsletter toting McHenry County’s accomplishments!

The Dec. 20 issue of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Regional Economic News e-newsletter (which you can read by clicking here) featured the McHenry County Economic Development Corp.’s annual dinner, its Manufacturing Internship Program partnering high-school students with area manufacturers, and the impending relocation of the MCEDC and Naturally McHenry County to new homes at McHenry County College and the Old Courthouse Arts Center on Woodstock Square, respectively.

Our partners at CMAP publish a number of e-newsletters, by topic, covering the Chicago region – and if you’re not subscribed to them, your finger isn’t on the pulse of what’s going on in government and urban planning. Click here to subscribe and catch up with the latest!

Regional education office hosting cybersecurity class for parents

Parents who are concerned about their children’s safety online are encouraged to attend a free virtual class hosted by the McHenry County Regional Office of Education to educate parents about how to keep kids safe when it comes to technology.

The class, which will be available in English and Spanish, takes place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15. The course will be taught by Rich Wistocki, a child crime expert and retired police detective with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, 22 of them as an internet crimes investigator with the Naperville Police Department.

Learn more by clicking here; the Zoom link for the English version can be found here, and the Zoom link for Spanish can be found here.

People in Need Forum coming up Jan. 25

If you or a McHenry County resident you know needs assistance, the upcoming People in Need Forum is held every year to spread the word about available resources.

The forum takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake.

Exhibitors and speakers will cover issues such as immigration, senior care, caregiver resources, food insecurity, mental health, employment and many more. Besides helping people seeking assistance, the forum is an excellent resource and networking opportunity for social service agencies, faith-based organizations, civic groups, law enforcement, elected officials and others.

The forum is absolutely free, and registration is encouraged, but not required; you can visit www.mchenry.edu/pin to do so. If you know people who could use this information, be sure to forward this email to them – help is out there!

CMAP profiles McHenry County rep (and vice-chair) Carolyn Schofield

Speaking of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, did you know that the vice-chairman of its operating board is also McHenry County’s representative?

The McHenry County Board a decade ago first appointed Carolyn Schofield to be the county’s voice on CMAP, which serves the people of the seven-county Chicago region (and its 284 municipalities and more than 8.6 million residents) by driving innovation, fostering shared action, and advancing toward a common vision.

The agency recently profiled Carolyn as part of an ongoing spotlight of its board members. She’s done a fantastic job representing us over the past 10 years, and you can learn more about her by clicking here.

Subscribe to the Naturally McHenry County INSIDER e-newsletter

Every week, McH Thrive gives you a taste of the year-round entertainment, leisure and events available in McHenry County.

But it’s a small taste. We only have so much room, and given everything that McHenry County offers, it can be a bit overwhelming – as in drinking-out-of-a-fire-hose overwhelming.

When it comes to experiencing the best of McHenry County, it pays to be an insider.

If you’re not subscribing to the INSIDER – the free monthly e-newsletter put out by our friends at Naturally McHenry County – you’re missing out on a lot.

Click here to subscribe to make sure you don’t miss any of the fun!

We hope you found this newsletter informative. If you’re not a subscriber, click here to join the McHenry County Government Constant Contact list.

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What is McH Thrive?

McH Thrive is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents.