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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING GUS W. RICKETTE, SR. ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY
WHEREAS, Gus W. Rickette, Sr. was born on August 11, 1926 in Leland, Mississippi. At age 16 he married Mary Robertson. At 17, he boarded a train to Chicago with the intention of securing a good job with the railroad and;
WHEREAS, After sending for Mary and the kids, he spent the next 15 years working as a janitor, a brick layer and hanging nets in a laundry. Mary worked in the factories and held clerical jobs and;
WHEREAS, In March 1962, Gus, Mary and a friend took a leap of faith and opened their first business G&G Chicken Shack at 135 S. Pulaski. G&G was the first chicken shack on the West Side. People would stand in line for an hour to place their orders and;
WHEREAS, Over the next few years, they saw much growth in their business. It was in 1968, that finally they opened the first Uncle Remus Chicken at 5611 W. Madison Street while Gus continued to operate as many as 8 businesses and;
WHEREAS, Uncle Remus is a 50-year-old historical institution representing Chicago’s West Side. A true family business, all of the Rickettes’ 12 children worked in the family businesses at some point. Gus and Mary retired from the day-to-day operations in 1991. They appointed their youngest child, Charmaine Rickette Alfred, to manage their flagship restaurant on West Madison. She now serves as the company’s president and CEO and;
WHEREAS, Gus served in United States Army and was a founding board member for the West Side Business Association. He is not only a pioneer in business, but a pioneer in philanthropy. He believes, to whom much has been given, much is required. He has generously supported the community through donations of food and service. He has financially supported and nurtured the dreams of others and;
WHEREAS, Uncle Remus has worked with multiple city, state, and civic organizations including The Safer Foundation, Matthew House, Debra’s Place and the Illinois Department of Corrections, offering second chances to former inmates and displaced persons as they transition back into the workforce and;
WHEREAS, The compassion and spirit of the Uncle Remus Brand also includes community outreach in the form of engagement and donations to community block clubs, events and non-profit organizations. Twenty-five years ago the Rickettes and Uncle Remus teamed up with the Comic Relief Organization through partnership with the Northwest Chicagoland Electrical Union to feed homeless families during the holiday season. To date Uncle Remus has served more than 9,000 meals through this endeavor and;
WHEREAS, Gus is a loyal resident of Chicago’s West Side and is planning his next business venture. He enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the President and Cook County Board of Commissioners that Gus Rickette Sr. is to be congratulated on the occasion of his 90th birthday and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the sincere appreciation of the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners is to be extended to Gus Rickette for his contributions to his community and Cook County.
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