“We’ve had students that have volunteered throughout the summer after doing it just those three times, because they see the need, and they want to help out,” she said. Over the past 50 years, hundreds of high-school seniors from Hinsdale Central, Fenwick, Lyons Township, Hinsdale South, Nazareth and Montini have comprised the assembly. Buddig said that she and her fellow board members look for individuals that are active in the community, but it can be difficult to nail down candidates, as there are so many from which to chose in the area. “We’ve always asked young men and women in the community to be part of the assembly, based on their community service and their outstanding record as citizens in the town,” Buddig said. “We really do try hard to find students that have given back to the community, have spent time in the community, and have a great desire to be a part of the assembly.” The commitment extends from January of a student’s senior year to December of his or her freshman year in college, but Buddig said the service component finishes up in May. Then, in late December, assembly members and their families come together for the Debutante Ball. Held annually on Dec. 23, the ball allows members and their families to reflect on all the work they have done in the preceding year in a festive setting. “It’s a celebration of all the service and all the time that the debutantes and honor guards have given,” Buddig said.
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What lies ahead
The Hinsdale Assembly just completed the first year of a ten-year/$1 million commitment to the new Adventist Cancer Institute in Hinsdale, which will be built on Ogden Ave. near the Tri-State Tollway. Scheduled to open in 2015, this facility will consolidate cancer patients’ needs under one roof. There is currently no building of its kind in the Western Suburbs. Next year, Buddig will pass the reins on to Elaine Moore, who will serve as board chair through 2015. She said she believes the assembly will continue to expand through community service over the next five decades. “I only see it growing more, doing more service, and reaching out to other groups that need help in the community,” Buddig said. “Dedication to service has been our theme this year, for our 50th, and it will continue being our theme for hopefully 50 more years.”
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