MOOSEHEART, IL - On the face of it, Mooseheart fared well through the heavy storms that ripped through northern Illinois on Monday (Aug. 4) evening.

Campus power flickered off for perhaps 30 seconds twice. None of the campus buildings, vehicles and, most importantly, residents were injured.

But the plant life on the campus suffered through the storm.

"We have probably five or six trees that will be lost," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "Either they're uprooted or they will be so damaged that, by the time we clear the parts that came down in the storm, we'll have to take out the tree."

Fortunately, the campus has a nursery and replacements are available.

"We'll find ones that haven't grown too large and replant them on campus," Hart said.

Strong storms last hit Mooseheart on Aug. 23, 2007.That storm damaged six trees and Hart said a couple of those had to be removed. Monday's storm was more serious and caused more damage to the campus' plant life.

"Fortunately no one got hurt," Hart said. "One of the trees came down about 10 inches from one of our vans. There were other areas that suffered much more than we did."

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.3 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,800 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, religious and vocational training, and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 250 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.Mooseintl.org and www.Mooseheart.org or call 630-966-2229.