Please help us seek accountability from Mayor Sean R. McDermott and the City of Countryside after they blocked an annual benefit concert from taking place at Countryside Park. By speaking out, we are hoping to urge the City of Countryside to reconsider, provide an explanation, and apologize. We also hope to convey that our community deserves better; they deserve a mayor and city officials that genuinely care, respect them, and value transparency and communication. If you want to support us and urge Mayor Sean McDermott and the City of Countryside to take accountability and allow the concerts to continue, please consider signing this petition and/or contacting City Officials; if you're unsure of who to contact or what to say, feel free to use the contact information and script provided at the bottom of this text. 

The Strike a Chord for Hayden C. Miles Benefit Concert has taken place at Countryside Park in Countryside, IL for six years; as of today, we received an email from the City of Countryside's Senior Administrative Clerk, Karen Melone, stating that "unfortunately, we were only approved to have this event at our park one time, because we can’t hold private events at our parks. So we will not be able to have this event at our park." After talking with City Clerk Officials, they let us know that we had somehow "slipped through the cracks" and accidentally been allowed to hold the benefit concert at Countryside Park for the last six years, stating that no one at the City of Countryside knew. Every year, we have submitted applications for special event licenses that have been approved by the city in addition to several banner applications that had also been submitted and approved. Over the past several years, the benefit concert has also had posters, yard signs, social media accounts, and a website made and distributed throughout the community. Despite this, City Officials have claimed they did not know and would not allow the benefit concert to continue. They suggested we talk to Mayor Sean McDermott. When our event coordinator was referred to speak to Mayor Sean McDermott, she was met by a surprising lack of care and respect. She communicated how she felt Sean was coming across to her, and Sean stated he would have no further conversations with the event coordinator and hung up on her.

We made sure that Karen, Liz, and Sean were all aware of what exactly this event is; a free, public benefit concert held in loving memory of a young man in our community who went to Lyons Township High School and passed away in 2018. All proceeds are donated to Merit School of Music, a place that removes barriers to high-quality music education so that all children can experience the transformative power of music; I also let them know how important this event had become to the community. They all continued to say they would not allow it, Sean specifically saying that there would be absolutely no discussion of an exception. Despite our event coordinator asking Sean to please consider listening to what she had to say, he continued to interrupt her. Upon asking how this situation could have happened, he provided no answers. Finally, after trying to convey how important this event is to the community, he said "you're stretching yourself" and "I feel sorry for you." He then said he would have no further conversations with us and hung up. 

We are disappointed in the City of Countryside's lack of care, respect, transparency, and communication, and want to share this information with the community to make people aware of our experience with the City of Countryside and Mayor Sean R. McDermott specifically. Our community deserves better from individuals who claim to be active in the community, Sean even having three children that all attended Lyons Township High School. If you want to support us and urge Mayor Sean McDermott and the City of Countryside to take accountability and allow the concerts to continue, please consider signing this petition and/or contacting City Officials; if you're unsure of who to contact or what to say, feel free to use the contact information and script provided below. 

To reach elected official Mayor Sean R. McDermott and City Clerk Officials by phone, call: 708.354.7270

To reach elected official Mayor Sean R. McDermott by email, see: smcdermott@countryside-il.org.

You may also copy and/or contact:

• Elected official City Clerk Elizabeth A. Kmet at: 708.354.7270 or ekmet@countryside-il.org.

• Deputy City Clerk Elizabeth Cordova at: 708.485.2595. ecordova@countryside-il.org.

• Senior Administrative Clerk Karen Melone at 708.485.2058. kmelone@countryside-il.org

• Office Assistant Molly Strohl at 708.485.2036. mstrohl@countryside-il.org

Thank you, and we hope to continue being able to hold benefit concerts that bring community members together, support accessible music education, and remember Hayden.

Email/Phone Call Template: 

Dear Mayor Sean R. McDermott and the City of Countryside Officals, 

I am reaching out to you about your cancellation of the annual Strike a Chord for Hayden Benefit Concerts. After six years in which this concert became a vastly important event to our community, I am disappointed to hear that you would not allow nor entertain any conversation about maintaining such a meaningful and beneficial gathering.

[You can also provide a 1-2 sentence description of the issue using your own words, if you'd like.]

I am particularly passionate about this issue because _________. [Here, you can share about any experience you have with the Strike a Chord concerts, Hayden, Virginia, or you may share about your experience as a member of the community; if you would rather not share anything, you can also delete this section.]

I am asking that you reflect and reconsider by allowing the concerts to continue, providing an explanation, and apologizing to the Strike a Chord for Hayden staff and community. This is a very important issue that I hope you treat with the care and respect it deserves. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Name}

[Email or phone if you would to be contacted]