Unity of Fox Valley, a Batavia congregation that started in a kitchen back in 1973, will celebrate 50 years with a special gala and a public concert over Labor Day weekend.
The congregation will celebrate its 50th year with a special weekend of good food, music, and plenty of surprises September 4 and 5.
The first night the Batavia church will have dinner, music, and dancing starting at at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 at the Lincoln Inn Banquets, 1345 S Batavia Ave., Batavia. The evening includes a 50/50 raffle alongside silent and live auctions. Tickets are $50 per person with a cash bar.
Saturday, Sept. 5, there will be Kids’ activities starting at 3:30 p.m. before Award-winning singer-songwriter Daniel Nahmod will headline a concert at Unity of Fox Valley, 230 Webster St., Batavia, at 6 p.m.. There is no set ticket price; it’s a love offering, meaning attendees give what they choose at the door.
Back in 1973, 12 people started meeting for a Thursday night spiritual study group in a local’s kitchen.
As it continued to grow, that kitchen study group from the 70s eventually relocated a rented Lutheran school classroom, then shifted to a community center, and finally bought its permanent home on Webster Street in Batavia in 1990. It took its current name, Unity of Fox Valley, in 2011.
“This is much more than a Golden Anniversary celebration,” said Reverend Michael Korpan, the church’s senior minister. “This is 50 years of a community being there for one another practically as well as spiritually.”
—Al Benson