08/20/2023
Not many know this as I never put it out there (and this post is a bit lengthy) but, as of 2019 Union Grove Super Saturday is an actual small business (EIN from IRS and everything) working toward nonprofit status… as the event really is about bringing the community together and celebrating everything our community members have to offer. I’m not here to promote this 26+ year village tradition because if you know you know 😉 I am going to introduce who I am and why I took Super Saturday on and continue to work-on growing this event (so that it would continue), even through a pandemic, when the world seemed to stop completely.
👋 My name is Shannon (Mande, then Malkasian, now Link) my family moved here in 1996, during my sophomore year at UGHS, because my stepfather had bought Hoover Well Drilling (original location is now Kastenson Auto, 2nd location was built at the end of Haag Dr. when M&W was the only building there). I remember helping at the County Fair Chamber Corn Stand as a teenager, man-o-man was it HOT!! I graduated early from UGHS class of 2000. For the past 20th years a mural I created senior year has hung in the high school above the (back then) ‘new addition’ doors. Now, some of my daughter’s art is displayed at the high school.
In 2009 as a young parent I volunteered to be the Union Grove Park & Rec assistant and help led bring youth activities (beyond sports) to the community. During that time cheerleading, dance, taekwondo, babysitting clinics, bike rodeos, and movie nights started to be offered. This opportunity required attending board meetings (I even voted on what to name Old School Yard Park) and participating in community events, such as Spring Fling (very similar to Super Saturday) and the Fourth of July parade.
In 2013, I received my undergrad (Bachelor of Science) in Early Childhood Dev and Elementary Ed. My student teaching was done at UGES and after a couple of years substituting at local schools (UGES, YES, RES). I continued on to grad school, in 2016 I earned a Master of Education in Special Education. Since then I have been offering special Ed resource services at a small local-ish (just east of the interstate) nonprofit private school.
My husband was born and raised in Union Grove, my children have grown-up in Union Grove, attending UG & Yorkville schools. My oldest graduated early in 2023 from UGHS and my middle is starting this year. In 2019 we bought a 6 acre hobby farm in Union Grove. I’ve been involved with Kiwanis since 2018; where my daughter and I have volunteered during the food stand, street dances, tree sales, bike rodeos, and the bowling fundraiser. I am not a ‘business owner’ in the financial sense of the word, I am not a politician or very political. I do love living in a small town, I am a voice for our youth, I AM UNION GROVE, a little stubborn, anxious to grow and always learning ❤️🖤❤️🖤
