Olivet Nazarene University and the Kankakee County Museum host a screening of the film Legends of Michiana: Jerry Hammes on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, 7 p.m., at Kresge Auditorium in Larsen Fine Arts Center on campus. A short reception precedes the program at 6:30 p.m. There is no admission charge, but please register for this event here.
This hour-long film — produced for WNIT, South Bend, Indiana’s PBS station — celebrates the accomplishments and philanthropy of Jerry Hammes and his late wife, Dorene. Through their spirit of generosity and extraordinary ability to believe in the potential of others, they continued and grew the Hammes family legacy in Kankakee County and beyond.
The Hammes family has a long history of connection with Olivet, beginning with Romy, Jerry’s father. Jerry and Dorene are the donors who helped Olivet establish the Hammes Bookstore on campus in the Ludwig Center.
Although Jerry has resided in South Bend for many years, he still considers Kankakee his home. His son, Jeff, and daughter-in-law, Lisa, live in Bourbonnais. Jeff is the president of Peoples Bank of Kankakee County. In 2016, Jerry and Dorene received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Daily Journal, recognizing their many contributions to the Kankakee area community.
Legends of Michiana: Jerry Hammes was produced for WNIT by Pat Wisniewski and Tom Desch, whose previous work includes Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh and An American Home: Frank Lloyd Wright’s B. Harley Bradley House. Tom is a former resident of Herscher, Illinois.
For more information about this event, contact Patricia Wisniewski at 219-508-7364 or Tom Desch at 773-837-1915.
Published: 10/10/2018
