File #: 22-3964    Version: 1 Name: CELEBRATING BUDDY'S BEAR 50TH YEAR OF BEING IN BUSINESS CELEBRATING BUDDY’S BEAR 50TH YEAR OF BEING IN BUSINESS CELEBRATING BUDDY’S BEAR 50 TH YEAR OF BEING IN BUSINESS
Type: Consent Calendar Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 6/13/2022 In control: Board of Commissioners
On agenda: 6/16/2022 Final action: 6/16/2022
Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING BUDDY BEAR CAR WASH 50TH YEAR OF BEING IN BUSINESS WHEREAS, the De Geratto family migrated to the United States of America in the late 1800s; and WHEREAS, the De Geratto's lived at 207 North Menard, Chicago, Illinois; and WHEREAS, it all began with Phillip De Geratto I, in the 1950s opening and operating his first grocery store, "Big Bear Foods," located at 5007 West Chicago Avenue; and WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto I, would later open two other Big Bear Foods on the west side of Chicago with his son, Phillip De Geratto II, who renamed the stores "Buddy Bear Food Centers," and adopted the motto, "People Who Care, Shop Buddy Bear"; and WHEREAS, during the Chicago riots in 1968, the Buddy Bear Food Centers on Chicago Avenue was destroyed; and eventually the two remaining Buddy Bear Food Centers were closed. Phillip De Geratto I, retired from the grocery business and later died in 1979; and WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto II (Buddy) and Phil...
Sponsors: STANLEY MOORE, TONI PRECKWINKLE (President), FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, LUIS ARROYO JR, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, DENNIS DEER, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, BRANDON JOHNSON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, KEVIN B. MORRISON, SEAN M. MORRISON, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, LARRY SUFFREDIN
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PROPOSED RESOLUTION

PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING BUDDY BEAR CAR WASH 50TH YEAR OF BEING IN BUSINESS

WHEREAS, the De Geratto family migrated to the United States of America in the late 1800s; and

WHEREAS, the De Geratto's lived at 207 North Menard, Chicago, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, it all began with Phillip De Geratto I, in the 1950s opening and operating his first grocery store, "Big Bear Foods," located at 5007 West Chicago Avenue; and

WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto I, would later open two other Big Bear Foods on the west side of Chicago with his son, Phillip De Geratto II, who renamed the stores "Buddy Bear Food Centers," and adopted the motto, "People Who Care, Shop Buddy Bear"; and

WHEREAS, during the Chicago riots in 1968, the Buddy Bear Food Centers on Chicago Avenue was destroyed; and eventually the two remaining Buddy Bear Food Centers were closed. Phillip De Geratto I, retired from the grocery business and later died in 1979; and

WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto II (Buddy) and Phillip De Geratto III inherited their father and grandfather's entrepreneurial spirit; and

WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto I, and II, demolished the Robert Hall Department Store, located at 3940 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. The site became the home of the first largest, automatic, state-of-the-art "Buddy Bear Car Wash" in 1972; and the motto changed to meet the new business, "People Who Care, Wash at Buddy Bear"; and

WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto II operated the Buddy Bear Car Wash with his son Phil De Geratto III, until his death in 1990; and

WHEREAS, Phillip De Geratto III has taken on a legacy of building thriving businesses; and

WHEREAS, Buddy Bear Car Wash would hire community residents at competitive compensation and benefits, generate traffic for other retail businesses, and put long vacant properties back on the tax rolls; and

WHEREAS, the first Buddy Bear Car Wash location underwent a $500,000 renovation to meet the new standards of the other Buddy Bear ca...

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